A nuclear transport operator is testing new sail technology

On By Yukito

(Photo: NTS)

British company Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS), in partnership with Smart Green Shipping (SGS), has become the first nuclear transport operator to install and test innovative sail technology on its specialist vessels to reduce its carbon footprint.

The NTS vessels are operated by Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd (PNTL), which is mainly owned by NTS (part of the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority), together with the French nuclear fuel company Orano and a consortium of Japanese utilities that use its services. Three specialized diesel-powered ships – Pacific heron, Pacific Heron AND Pacific Grebe – transport high-level waste and other nuclear materials. To date, PNTL has shipped over 2,000 nuclear barrels 5 million miles to Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the US. A FastRig wingsail from SGS was installed Pacific Grebe.

The technology uses wind energy to power the ship, potentially reducing fuel consumption and CO emissions2 greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30% for a full commercial installation. The FastRig wingsail is a lightweight, retractable solution that uses specialized sensors and automated technology to adapt to changing weather conditions, allowing it to deploy and retract as needed to ensure both fuel savings and safety.

Seth Kybird, CEO of NTS, said: “The addition of FastRig aligns with our sustainability goals and demonstrates our commitment to pioneering green technologies in the maritime sector.” NTS managing director for shipping, Pete Buchan, noted: “While still a trial at this stage, this is the first real application of this wing and has the potential to change the way all ships sail, drastically reducing emissions and fuel consumption across the industry. We are really proud of the role we played in this project and look forward to seeing the final test results.”

SGS CEO Diane Gilpinsaid NTS has demonstrated great leadership in pioneering the world’s first FastRig sea trials. “Their ships require the highest safety standards, and our cooperation shows that Fastrigs can be installed on any ship. NTS enables SGS to conduct formal sea trials, giving us accurate, independently verified performance data with which to validate the digital models and tank test results produced by the University of Southampton.

The project is part of it Winds of changea two-year plan that started in April 2023 and will run until March 2025. The project forms part of Round 3 of the Clean Sea Demonstration Competition (CMDC3), launched in September 2022, funded by the UK Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with InnovateUK . Under CMDC3, the Department committed £60 million ($78 million) to 19 projects supported by 92 UK organizations to demonstrate research and development projects in marine ecology solutions.