Drax Group has announced a £1 million investment to support an effort to decarbonise the shipping industry.
In partnership with Smart Green Shipping, the project will trial ‘FastRig’ technology, a wind-assisted system that could reduce emissions from commercial vessels.
This funding, matched by the UK Government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC), aims to prove the effectiveness of green shipping solutions.
The FastRig technology involves lightweight, retractable wingsails that can be added to existing ships, using wind power to lower fuel consumption and emissions.
Current sea trials are taking place on the Pacific Grebe, a specialist ship designed for nuclear transport.
The trials, scheduled to finish by the end of October, will generate verified performance data, with initial studies indicating that the system could reduce fuel use and emissions by up to 30% each year.
The maritime industry currently accounts for around 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, a figure that has grown by 20% over the past ten years.
If successful, FastRig could offer a practical way to cut emissions in this traditionally challenging sector.
An earlier study by Drax showed promising results for FastRig technology on transatlantic routes.
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