Kongsberg Maritime has initiated the WINTEGRATE project, collaborating with a consortium of prominent Norwegian maritime companies and research institutions to promote the use of wind propulsion in commercial shipping. The initiative has received up to USD $7.3 million (NOK 68 million) from Norway’s Green Platform program.
WINTEGRATE aims to develop technologies that will seamlessly integrate Wind Assisted Propulsion Systems (WAPS), including rotor sails and suction wings, with existing ship propulsion, power management, and control systems. The project’s objective is to enhance fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, facilitating the adoption of wind propulsion on both new vessels and retrofitting existing ships.
Despite the growing recognition of wind propulsion as a viable decarbonization solution, its effectiveness is hampered by inadequate integration with onboard systems. WINTEGRATE seeks to overcome this limitation through a comprehensive approach that incorporates digital technologies, operational optimization, and extensive testing.
The project will utilize demonstration vessels from Odfjell SE and Seatrans, which will provide operational data to validate the new technologies and support their commercial implementation. The consortium includes key players like SINTEF Ocean, DNV, and Norsepower, among others.
