In September, we posted about a Swedish consortium that included Wallenius Marine has designed Oceanbird, a five-masted sailing car carrier, that, if built, will be the largest sailing cargo ship that the world has ever seen. 

Last month, Alfa Laval and Wallenius Marine announced that they would form a 50/50 joint venture – AlfaWall Oceanbird – that will supply innovative wind propulsion solutions for cargo vessels and other ship types. The plan is to have the first Oceanbird system onboard a vessel within five years.

From the press release:

AlfaWall Oceanbird, will develop wind propulsion technologies valid for any vessel type. The first installation will be implemented on a transatlantic car carrier with a capacity of 7,000 cars, and with an average speed of 10 knots it will cut emissions by up to 90 percent compared to today’s most energy-efficient vessels, thereby supporting the maritime industry’s shift towards zero-emission shipping. While the technology is initially developed for cargo vessels, the ambition is to expand it to cruise liners and other vessels based on market demand.

“Meeting the shipping industry’s decarbonization ambition will require multiple new solutions. In this new joint venture, we will combine the expertise of Alfa Laval and Wallenius, enabling us to develop a completely new and innovative vessel type that can contribute to the decarbonization targets,” says Tom Erixon, President and CEO of Alfa Laval.

“At Wallenius we are always striving to move the agenda for truly sustainable shipping,” says Jonas Kleberg, Chairman and CEO of Wallenius. “Just as we did with PureBallast, we will now bring Oceanbird into this partnership with Alfa Laval. Together we will provide a powerful solution for sustainable shipping.”

Alfa Laval, world leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling, is active in the areas of Energy, Marine, and Food & Water, offering its expertise, products, and service to a wide range of industries in some 100 countries. 

Wallenius, with headquarter in Stockholm, has been a frontrunner in the global shipping industry since 1934. The company offers a complete and sustainable shipping service – from innovative design and newbuilding to ship management.