Michelin's inflatable sails turn giant polluting cargo ships into giant sailing ships

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By Matthew Griffin Earth and Energy 4th October 2021

WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF

The global shipping industry contributes about 3% to all global greenhouse gas emissions, so companies are trying to help the industry go “green.”

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Beyond putting rubber on the world’s hypercars Michelin also has its hand in more sustainable inflatable endeavours and have unveiled their Wing Sail Mobility (WISAMO) project – an inflatable sail system which reduces the fuel consumption of cargo ships by turning them into giant sailing ships on demand.

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Developed as a joint project between Michelin and two Swiss inventors the wing sail system isn’t meant to replace ship engines but augment them with a clean, free, readily available power source. The automated sail collapses like an accordion over top of the deck when not in use. At the push of a button, the sail inflates into full, puffy airplane wing-like glory with help from an air compressor and a rising telescopic mast.

Used on its own or in groups, the wing sail transforms wind into forward momentum to decrease overall vessel fuel consumption by 10 to 20 percent, according to Michelin.

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The company claims that the dual-sided surface of the inflated sail improves performance over traditional flat sails, particularly when it comes to sailing upwind. And we’re sure it doesn’t hurt that the big, baffled sail ties in nicely with the rubbery folds of the pudgy Michelin Man, serving as something of a highly visible Michelin billboard.

See the concept in action

The WISAMO system is automated, an important point since merchant ships likely won’t have the manpower or expertise necessary to work a traditional sail. The system also works in repositioning the wing sails to the optimum position for wind conditions.

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Michelin says the wing sail is able to hold up to stormy conditions, absorbing energy with its inflated body. Should the conditions prove too rough, it can retract quickly until the skies clear, something that’s also necessary when cruising under bridges and into harbors.

The WISAMO wing sail is a plug-and-play design that can be retrofitted to existing vessels or integrated into new builds, and Michelin says that it’s particularly well-suited to commercial roll-on roll-off ships, bulk carriers and tankers, but can also be used on pleasure craft.

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Michelin highlighted the WISAMO project at this month’s Movin’ On global sustainability summit. It has built a 100-sq-m (1,076-sq-ft) sail, and plans to finish testing atop a sailboat with help from French sailor and racer Michel Desjoyeaux. From there, it will run a trial atop a merchant ship in 2022 ahead of planned production. The company intends for the wing sails to contribute to the much broader long-term goal of cutting 50+ percent of global maritime transport emissions by 2050.

Source: Michelin

Matthew Griffin / About Author

Matthew Griffin, multi-award winning Futurist and named Futurist of the Year 2024, has been described as a "Walking encyclopaedia of the future" by NASA and a futurist polymath. One of the world's most renowned futurists and strategic foresight experts Matthew is the 15 times author of the blockbuster "Codex of the Future" series, and is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working across the next 50 years, XPotential University, the world's first free futures and foresight university, and the World Futures Forum which works with the United Nations to solve the worlds greatest challenges. Matthew is an in demand international keynote, acclaimed university lecturer and mentor, and host of the hit Fanatical Futurist podcast.

A rare talent in his past Matthew helped build and run several multi-billion dollar business units for Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, and his ability to identify, track, and explain the impacts of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends on global business, culture, and society has earned him a powerful reputation and a roster of clients that include royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77+ governments, and many of the world's most respected brands including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi Group, Coca Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Disney, Dow, EY, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, and many others. He was also the only futurist invited to talk at the UN COP28 held in Dubai alongside world leaders.

Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.