Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • European Rubber Journal
  • Plastics News
  • Tire Business
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Automotive
    • Tire
    • Non-Tire
    • Suppliers
    • ITEC
    • Silicone
    • Online Exclusive
    • Latex
    • Technical Notebooks
    • Executive Action
    • Government/Legal
    • Opinion
    • Rubber Division IEC
    • Blogs
    • Sustainability
    • Products
    • Wacky World of Rubber
  • War in Ukraine
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
  • Resources
    • Directory
    • Classifieds & Mold Mart
  • Data
  • Events
    • RN Events
    • RN Livestreams/Webinars
    • Industry Events
    • Past Events
    • Rubber News M&A Live
    • 2022 Hose & Belt Manufacturers Conference
    • 2022 International Silicone Conference
    • 2022 International Tire Exhibition & Conference (ITEC)
    • 2022 Women Breaking the Mold
  • Advertise
  • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Sustainability
June 02, 2021 10:54 AM

Michelin unfurls newly designed sail for shipping industry at Movin'On

Erin Pustay Beaven
Rubber & Plastics News
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Michelin
    Michelin introduced its Wisamo sail, designed to allow shipping vessels to harness the power of the wind and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    PARIS—Innovation isn't just about technology. Sometimes, it involves leaning into what's worked for centuries.

    That's what Michelin has done with one of its most recent developments: a telescopic, inflatable wing sail designed to give ocean vessels the chance to harness the wind and dial back their dependence on fossil fuels.

    During its Movin'On Summit, an annual event intended to bring leaders from a variety of industries together to discuss and address some of the biggest challenges facing businesses, communities and the planet, Michelin unveiled the Wisamo sail project.

    "Our ambition is to help humanity conquer new frontiers on the planet," Benoit Baisle Dailliez, the Wisamo initiative leader, said during a pre-recorded presentation at the virtual Movin'On event. "Wisamo fully embodies what people talk about when they say, 'we have to change the world.' We have moved from talk to action."

    Ocean vessel transport represents 90 percent of global trade, according to Michelin. Demand for the transportation is expected to triple within the next 30 years, and this has led the International Maritime Organization to focus on the reduction of the industry's greenhouse gas emissions, pledging to cut them by 50 percent by 2050.

    Michelin believes Wisamo is the bridge that can connect the shipping industry to its sustainability goal, saying the wing sail system can improve a ship's fuel efficiency by as much as 20 percent, depending on the vessel, its route and weather conditions.

    "The impact of maritime transport is clear: It represents 3 percent of the world's CO2. And CO2 emissions from transport alone, represents 11 percent of the CO2—as much as the airplane ones," Baisle Dailliez said. "And regulations call for cutting 40 percent of CO2 emissions in Europe by 2030 and cutting 70 percent of global CO2 emissions from shipping by 2050."

    Wisamo, Michelin said, can go along way in helping to achieve these goals, because its versatility allows for use on just about any cargo vessel and in any condition.

    The mast height, for instance, can be adjusted and the sail can be deflated as needed to adjust to weather conditions, or allow a vessel to come into port or pass under bridges, according to Michelin's Bruno Fragniere, who brought R&D and mechanical engineering expertise to the project.

    "It has a small air compressor inside that blows it into shape on a telescopic mast. Once it is pumped with air, it captures wind like an airplane wing, thanks to its design," Fragniere said. "That generates power that propels the boat forward. When you want to capture wind, you inflate it. And when you want to return to port or pass under a bridge, you deflate it."

    The Wisamo sail is controlled remotely by the ship's crew and can inflate or deflate with the push of a button. This is a critical component of the wing sail's design, according to Michel Desjoyeaux, a world renown French navigator who has become an ambassador of the Wisamo project.

    "It has a plug-and-play system, which is very easy to install and use. Whether it's for a refit—meaning an addition for an existing boat—or for a newly built ship, you lower the mast into the boat, plug it in and off you go," Desjoyeaux said. "Once you're out of the harbor, you push a button and the machine does everything: It unfurls the wing and automatically chooses the correct setting for the cargo ships. This is crucial because there aren't many crew members on the bridge and they don't necessarily know much about sailboats. They need a system that operates automatically."

    Desjoyeaux contends that innovation in the wing sail's design isn't limited to its mechanical properties. Wisamo, he said, is resilient and versatile—able to fitted or retrofitted to roll-on, roll-off ships; bulk carriers; and oil and gas tankers.

    He also noted that the technology behind Wisamo, gives the sails a dependable quality that more mature sailing solutions just don't have.

    "When I discovered that system, I thought it had checked a lot of boxes compared to our other systems with more disadvantages. Wisamo wing sail is already much more advanced than other systems which may be a bit older," Desjoyeaux said.

    He also couldn't help but notice that Wisamo sails have signature Michelin look when fully inflated: They look a little like Bibendum.

    "It's also aesthetically pleasant, with a shape similar to a little man who usually manufactures tires," Desjoyeaux said with a smile.

    The innovative sail not only has won the approval of experts like Desjoyeaux, it has caught the eye of major shipping companies, too.

    Francois Cadiou, chairman of BRS Group, a diversified global shipping services copmpany, praised the innovation and design behind the Wisamo sail. In the video that debuted the technology at Movin'On, Cadiou emphasized the need for sustainable solutions that allow the shipping industry to drastically cut into its large carbon footprint.

    "Maritime transport is essential, but can be in the public critique spotlights. So we really have to do something. The use of fuel oil has become catastrophic, and we need to cut CO2 emission," Cadiou said. " … We may not be able to fly in the air, but we can certainly sail on the wind."

    While it may seem an unlikely project for a world renown tire maker and a pair of Swiss inventors, Patrice Kefalas, Michelin's innovation and partnership director, contends that the project is right in Michelin's wheelhouse. After all, he said, the tire maker's deep experience in material and product development is exactly what makes it the perfect company to raise an innovation like Wisamo.

    "Two years ago, our president said, 'at Michelin, everything will be sustainable.' The innovation from Michelin and Wisamo is a great example of this," Kefalas said. "With Wisamo, we are going to contribute to reducing CO2 emissions in maritime transport by drawing on Michelin's engineering know-how.

    "For Wisamo, this know-how relates to the materials for the sail, as well as the automations to pilot the sail close to the wind and the engineering to install it on the vessel. Wisamo is the first step toward our dream of a completely decarbonized supply chain."

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Rubber News wants to hear from its readers. If you want to express your opinion on a story or issue, email your letter to Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected].

    Most Popular
    1
    Officials shut down molding plant blamed for chemical leak in Michigan
    2
    Gust: Tire recycling starts at inception
    3
    Bridgestone investing $36 million on hose capacity expansion
    4
    Circularity critical to solving the sustainability conundrum
    5
    USTMA offers priorities on 6ppd alternatives study
    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Rubber News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe Today

    Subscribe to Rubber News to get the best coverage and leading insights in the industry.

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    MISSION

    To serve companies in the global rubber product industry by delivering news, industry insights, opinions and technical information.

    Contact Us

    2291 Riverfront Pkwy, Suite 1000
    Cuyahoga Falls,
    OH 44221

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1726

    Resources
    • About Us
    • Digital Edition
    • Staff
    • Advertise
    • Order Reprints
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Partner Sites
    • Tire Business
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    • Automotive News
    • Crain Brands
    Copyright © 1996-2022. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Automotive
      • Tire
      • Non-Tire
      • Suppliers
      • ITEC
      • Silicone
      • Online Exclusive
      • Latex
      • Technical Notebooks
      • Executive Action
      • Government/Legal
      • Opinion
      • Rubber Division IEC
      • Blogs
        • Products
        • Wacky World of Rubber
      • Sustainability
    • War in Ukraine
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
    • Resources
      • Directory
      • Classifieds & Mold Mart
    • Data
    • Events
      • RN Events
        • 2022 Hose & Belt Manufacturers Conference
        • 2022 International Silicone Conference
        • 2022 International Tire Exhibition & Conference (ITEC)
        • 2022 Women Breaking the Mold
      • RN Livestreams/Webinars
      • Industry Events
      • Past Events
      • Rubber News M&A Live
    • Advertise
    • DIGITAL EDITION