The shipbuilding sector is a stalwart in France’s large and complex industrial base. With 5,788 companies and 42,898 employees, generating 5.4 billion euros of sales of the marine industry and services, it enjoys widespread recognition on international markets. By integrating the latest technologies and diversifying its activities to include the development of renewable marine power sources, it has become one of the standard bearers in the revival of the national manufacturing industry.
However, this volume of sales and this massive contribution to the national economy are not without downsides, the most significant being the high environmental impact. More specifically, the shipping sector is responsible for almost 3% of global CO2 emissions, a total of 1 billion tons. If nothing is done, maritime CO2 emissions could rise by a further 50% over 2018 levels by 2050. In addition, there are the indirect – but equally significant – consequences of other forms of pollution, such as the impact on coastal areas and damage to marine biodiversity.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set the target of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the world fleet by half by 2050. The challenge is to replace 235 million tons of fossil fuels per year with cleaner energy sources.
Meeting this ambitious target will require fundamental changes, and France, as the world’s second-largest maritime nation, can help galvanize awareness by offering practical solutions to reduce emissions by developing decarbonized short-sea shipping logistics.
State-of-the-art computer-aided design solutions for the shipbuilding industry
The work and expertise of French companies – which already offer solutions to reduce ship emissions – can make key contributions in this area. With over 35 years of experience, CT Engineering has established itself as the leading engineering company over the entire product life cycle. Since it was founded, the company philosophy has been to provide innovative services and technological solutions designed to increase the efficiency and competitiveness of its customers.
Its success is based on the skills of over 2,000 engineers working in seven countries, who provide comprehensive, specialist services to leading customers in the aerospace, maritime, automotive, rail, energy and industrial plant sectors.
For the marine sector specifically, the company has focused its efforts on the design, development and implementation of complete marine engineering projects, from the initial design stage to final delivery. With its innovative technologies and software solutions, the company is able to enhance products and processes in the maritime industry, with the aim of making them more competitive, sustainable and efficient.
Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion: the potential of wind power in ship propulsion
In a constantly evolving sector, the company offers the application of intelligent engineering solutions that can help the marine industry meet its short, medium and long-term challenges. In the area of decarbonization specifically, CT Engineering has dedicated a great deal of time, assets and resources to innovation in an area with a history going back over seven centuries: velic (i.e. wind assisted) ship propulsion.
What was formerly achieved using sails is now a system called WASP (Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion), that combines a number of innovations from a variety of fields, including shipbuilding, yachting, ocean racing, aeronautics and digital technologies.
These technologies come in many forms: sails or wings, rotors or airfoils, kites, and so on.
Because of the variety of possible positions, shapes, rigidity and automation, they can all be installed on almost any type of vessel. An additional advantage is that it is possible to install these technologies on ships while they are at sea, enabling the decarbonization of the maritime sector to begin immediately.
Solutions for entirely wind-powered and hybrid vessels
CT Engineering has already been applying its expertise in this field for years now, collaborating on several WASP projects with its full range of studies and services:
- Basic and detailed design
- Trim systems
- Structural calculations for masts and booms made of steel and composite materials
- Stability calculations
- Speed prediction and performance calculations
In the design and development of sail-powered cargo ships, CT Engineering’s involvement in projects such as the TOWT sailing cargo ship, an alternative to container ships that emits just 20 g CO2eq/T/km compared with the 2750 TEU of a conventional vessel, is particularly noteworthy.
In the hybrid vessel sector, CT Engineering has played an instrumental role in projects such as the NEOLINER, a pilot project that is designed to demonstrate the profitability and attractiveness of hybrid carriers as ideal ships for stable, low-carbon shipping. The company also worked on the WISAMO wing, an inflatable wing project sponsored by MICHELIN. CT Engineering contributed its expertise in the design of the sprit supporting the wing, the calculation of the structural elements and the system performance study.
CT Engineering’s commitment to the decarbonization of the maritime sector informs not just the day-to-day work of its engineers but beyond, into their very mindsets. CT Engineering has a seat on the steering committee of WINDSHIP, a French association set up to accelerate the ecological transition of the maritime sector through the development and deployment of wind-assisted propulsion systems for ships.
