Swedish companies Alfa Laval and Wallenius have taken the next step towards bringing the Oceanbird wind power solutions from concept to commercial reality by formalising their 50/50 joint venture, AlfaWall Oceanbird, with Niclas Dahl as its new managing director.
AlfaWall Oceanbird initially plans to install wing sails on a transatlantic car carrier with a capacity of 7,000 ceu. The solution should cut emissions by up to 90% compared to today’s most energy-efficient vessels at an average speed of 10 knots.
“As the enthusiasm for wind power grows, we’re moving rapidly to build on what we’ve achieved. Our next wing sail prototype is on the horizon, and we’re on target to have a transatlantic car carrier fully propelled by Oceanbird technology in 2025,” said Niclas Dahl.
Dahl comes from the role of vice president of marine separation and heat transfer equipment at Alfa Laval. Overseeing Oceanbird’s development continues a sustainability journey for Dahl, whose career includes several years of development and the launch of Alfa Laval PureBallast ballast water treatment solution that was also created in partnership with Wallenius.
Further vessel designs and retrofits are expected to follow. “Wind is an opportunity we must seize now,” Dahl stated. “There’s simply no time to waste in phasing out fossil fuels.”
Wallenius developed the Oceanbird concept in co-operation with KTH and SSPA in the wPCC (wind powered car carrier) project. The concept envisions a vessel outfitted with five 80-meter-high wing sails.
