DNV has awarded an AiP to Michelin for their WISAMO wing sail system. This is the first AiP to have been awarded to an inflatable wing sail design and is currently being installed for testing on the MN Pélican.
First introduced in 2021, the WISAMO sail is an inflatable, retractable, automated wing sail that can be installed on commercial vessels and pleasure boats.
The sail is automated with a system developed by Michelin R&D and is retractable for access into ports and under bridges. The AiP has been awarded based on DNV’s WAPS ST-0511 standard.
The initial tests of a WISAMO sail were carried out on a sailing yacht. Currently, installation of a 100m2 system is being undertaken on the DNV-classed MN Pelican.
The 155m long, 8,600 dwt Compagnie Maritime Nantaise ro-ro cargo vessel, operates under charter to Brittany Ferries and sails between Poole, Great Britain, and Bilbao, Spain. This will allow testing of the system under commercial maritime navigation conditions.
It is a very important step forward the further development of this innovative solution to contribute to maritime transport decarbonization
said Gildas Quemeneur, Initiative Leader at Michelin.
DNV’s WAPS ST-0511 standard provides a framework for the verification and certification of wind assistance propulsion systems. It can be applied in obtaining an Approval in Principle, a Design Approval or a Type approval.
These verifications and certifications can also be obtained as part of the integration into a vessel or independently. The ST-0511 technical standard is a complement to the DNV WAPS class notation, which is focussed on the integration of systems onboard vessels, whether retrofitted or as part of a newbuilding.
