Zéphyr & Borée Gets BV AIP for Containership Wind Assisted Propulsion System

December 8, 2021

Bureau Veritas (BV) delivered an Approval in Principle (AiP) to Zéphyr & Borée for its first open-top 1,800 TEU containership.


The 185m containershihp is designed with five cargo holds, mostly open-top. Propulsion means are compliant with IMO’s Tier III requirements, and the vessel is equipped with shaft generators and a heat recovery system that minimizes fuel consumption. The vessel’s propulsion system will be assisted by eight sails provided by CWS (Computed Wing Sails). The design is a thick, asymmetrical wing-sail that can be steered to catch port and starboard winds, and adjusts itself automatically depending on the wind conditions to ensure optimal savings.

Image courtesy Bureau Veritas
Image courtesy Bureau Veritas

“We are convinced that the wind energy will play an important role in the years to come to decarbonize ships’ propulsion," said Nils Joyeux, CEO at Zéphyr & Borée. "The integration of sails on container ships is an important technical challenge on which we are working hard at Zéphyr & Borée. We are delighted to collaborate with BV on this project, which represents a key milestone by demonstrating the viability of wing-sails as a wind propulsion solution for container ships. We intend to continue our work with maritime stakeholders to offer wind propulsion solutions that are economically viable and make a tangible difference for the sector.”

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