Michelin has signed a partnership agreement with Compagnie Maritime Nantaise to test the Wisamo wing solution on the ro-ro vessel Pélican.
The ship operates between Poole, UK, and Bilbao, Spain. A prototype inflatable, automated wing, with a surface area of 100 sq m, will be installed on the vessel in the second half of 2022 for live testing and further technical development. If the tests prove conclusive, this partnership agreement would pave the way for trials with a larger sail.
The Wisamo solution is based on wind propulsion and thus will reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Designed to be retractable, it will facilitate port arrivals and passage under bridges, added Michelin.
The partnership with Compagnie Maritime Nantaise will run in parallel with tests on Michel Desjoyeaux’s sailing vessel. Various measurements have been carried out in Switzerland on Lake Neuchâtel between June and December 2021. On the strength of the results obtained, Wisamo will enter a second phase of more in-depth tests in winter maritime conditions in the Bay of Biscay. The sailboat sent to Royan will be able to start sailing at the end of February 2022.
