INSIGHTS / News

(Artist’s impression of a 20-metre AirWing unit to be installed on Carisbrook Shipping’s general cargo vessel)

GT Green Technologies, a member of the Hydrogen & Sustainable Transport Economy Accelerator programme, alongside partners Carisbrooke Shipping and the University of Bristol, is set to revolutionise commercial shipping with its groundbreaking wind propulsion solution, AirWing.

The project has been awarded £3.7m through the Department for Transport and Innovate UK’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 funding call to install a 20-metre AirWing unit on a Carisbrooke Shipping vessel – a transformative shift towards greener maritime practices.

Designed by GT Green Technologies, the AirWing is a cutting-edge wind propulsion solution with patent-pending airflow manipulation to maximise thrust output while maintaining a compact and lightweight profile.

George Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, GT Green Technologies, said: “We are very pleased to bring our AirWing design to reality towards the end of this year and to do so alongside our great partners Carisbrooke Shipping. Our aim is to make wind propulsion accessible for a large proportion of the global fleet of vessels that have limited deck space and cargo handling constraints, such as Carisbrooke’s Vessel chartered by Fednav, which will house the first installation. We have Letters of Intent and moving to orders for further AirWing installations and working with some of the largest shipowners and operators in the industry to help decarbonise their vessels. 2024 is shaping up to be a big year for us, and we’re excited to get going with manufacturing and installations.”

Captain Simon Merritt, Senior Fleet Manager, Carisbrooke Shipping, said: “We’ve been in talks with GT Green Technologies for the past two years and are thrilled to be prototyping its AirWing concept. The utilisation of AirWing technology will reduce operating costs through lower fuel consumption and emissions, further enhance the vessel’s green credentials and alleviate the tax burden for our ship operators. The installation will take place on one of our UK-registered vessels, with all design and construction carried out right here in the UK.”

The University of Bristol will be contributing expertise in composite structures testing and modelling.

Tobias Laux, Research Associate at the University of Bristol, commented: “We are very excited to be part of the AirWing consortium and to contribute our expertise in composite structures testing and modelling to the development of innovative wind propulsion technology. We believe that wind propulsion will play an important role in future sustainable shipping and that cross-disciplinary research in fluid dynamics, structures, and ship science will be necessary to harness its full potential.”

Join GT Green Technologies and a cohort of innovative hydrogen & sustainable transport companies

GT Green Technologies is currently being supported as part of the SETsquared-delivered Hydrogen & Sustainable Transport Economy Accelerator which offers companies in the West of England support to raise private equity investment and grant funding alongside an academic collaborator, masterclasses, networking and one-to-one clinics with advisors and academics in the field.

Find out more about the Hydrogen & Sustainable Transport Economy Accelerator

 

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