Published articles, technical papers & presentations covering technologies, solutions and design concepts from Eco Marine Power.

Topics covered include marine renewable energy, green ships, low emission shipping. hybrid marine power, wind & solar power for ships, sail assisted propulsion, sustainable shipping and future eco-ship ideas.

For a list of news articles please see our Media Coverage section or News Archives.

For further information regarding our R&D Projects please see Research & Development.

Aquarius Eco Ship – Pathway to Zero Emissions Shipping

Greg Atkinson. The Maritime Executive. 12th December 2020.

During the last couple of years shipping has witnessed the implementation of regulations aimed at reducing pollution plus measures are also currently being discussed with the stated intentions of improving the energy efficiency of ships and to reduce CO2 emissions. Large zero emissions vessels are also being considered and for these to become a reality, alternative propulsion systems and new or improved energy saving devices will be required.

The Aquarius Eco Ship is a zero emissions design concept and ongoing comprehensive study project focused on optimizing the design of ocean-going ships such as bulk carriers, tankers, RoRo vessels and cruise ships so that they can harness the power of the wind and sun plus incorporate other technologies that will improve a vessel’s energy efficiency. The project has its origins back in 2010 when a feasibility study was started by Eco Marine Power to investigate how various technologies and systems could be used to reduce fuel consumption and noxious gas emissions.

Link to article: Maritime Executive

Aquarius MRE: Zero Emissions Power and Propulsion for Ships

Greg Atkinson. The Naval Architect. November 2020.

World shipping, along with other sectors of the global economy, is faced with the challenge of moving towards a zero emissions and decarbonised future. Although neither of these terms are perhaps well defined at the moment, what we do know is that there is increasing pressure on shipping to adopt measures and technologies that will significantly reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon intensity.

In Japan, a project led by Eco Marine Power was started in 2010 to investigate and then develop a fully-automated rigid sail and solar power solution for use on ships. This solution is known as Aquarius Marine Renewable Energy (Aquarius MRE).

Full Article (1.4 Mb PDF)  The Naval Architect Magazine

Rigid Sails and Solar Power for Zero Emission Shipping

Maritime Executive. 31st August 2020.

The shipping industry is currently adapting to a number of major challenges related to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and moving towards decarbonisation. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has outlined an ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction strategy and the European Union (EU) has also unveiled its own plan to reduce shipping related GHG emissions. Consequently there is an emerging shift away from heavy fuel oils and the recent grounding of the MV Wakashio is likely to reinforce this trend.

Link to article: Maritime Executive

Presentation: Low Emission & Renewable Energy Solutions for Shipping

EMP Presentation. 11th November. 2019.

Presentation by Eco Marine Power Chief Technology Officer at Credit Suisse Research Institute. Fall Meeting. Zurich, Switzerland. Topics covered include: shipping emissions and fuel consumptions, challenges for shipping, Eco Marine Power principles, low emission power and propulsion solutions from Eco Marine Power, Aquarius Marine Renewable Energy (MRE), overview of MV Panamana project and major challenges for Eco Marine Power.

Link to presentation: EMP Website (2Mb)

Article: Rigid sails for modern ships – it’s unlikely to be all plain sailing

Published by Eco Marine Power and Splash247.com. 15th January, 2019.

Recently there has been a relative surge in interest within the shipping sector regarding the use of sail-assisted or wind-assisted propulsion devices. Examples of these devices or technologies include kites, soft sails, rotor sails and rigid sails – and all of them have been fitted to ships in the past.

Links to article: EMP Website  Splash247.com

Published paper: Considerations regarding the use of rigid sails on modern powered ships

Cogent Engineering. Volume 5, 2018 - Issue 1. November 2018.

The global shipping fleet is vital to world trade with billions of tonnes of cargo being transported annually by merchant vessels. This activity however results in large volumes of carbon emissions and airborne particulate matter being released into the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels for propulsion and on-board power. Recently, there has been an increasing focus on the need to reduce fossil fuel consumption and airborne emissions across the shipping sector. To facilitate this, a range of technologies have been developed or are currently in the development phase. Rigid sails are one of these technologies, yet despite these being installed on a number of ships in the 1980s they have to date been unable to gain widespread acceptance. This paper will briefly discuss the history of sails on ships and then review a broad range of issues regarding their use encompassing previous research studies, journal articles and operational experiences.

Link to full article: Cogent Engineering

Aquarius Eco Ship Project: Japanese Companies Push for Renewable Energy in Vessels

JAPANForward. June 16, 2018.

In April this year the International Maritime Organization (IMO) outlined its vision to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by at least 50% by 2050. This, along with other policy initiatives such as reducing the sulphur content in marine fuels and emission control areas, is driving technological changes across the shipping sector aimed at reducing airborne emissions.

An obvious way to reduce airborne emissions produced by ships is to reduce the amount of fuel they use both for propulsion and for electrical power. For example, a large bulk carrier uses around 40 metric tons of heavy fuel oil each day. This is the type of ship that carries, for example, iron ore from Australia to Japan, and globally there are hundreds of these types of ships operating today. So, reducing fuel consumption by just 10% on bulk carriers alone would save thousands of metric tons of fuel per year.

Link to article: JAPANForward website

Sail-assisted propulsion and solar power for ships

LinkedIn. June 1st 2018.

In recent years there has been a clear shift towards reducing harmful exhaust emissions from the world’s merchant shipping fleet. From January 2020, the sulphur limit for fuel oil used on ships will be 0.50% m/m (mass by mass). This combined with a growing trend towards more sustainable practices in the shipping industry is encouraging  many ship owners to consider alternative and cleaner sources of propulsion and power on their ships. One obvious source of clean power for ships is the wind and therefore in 2012 a development project was started in Japan to address the limitations of the earlier JAMDA sails, plus bring in new concepts and automation technologies.

Link to article: LinkedIn

Rigid Sails and Solar Power for Ships

LinkedIn. January 8th 2018.

Overview of the development of the sail assisted propulsion and solar power system for ships - Aquarius MRE. This innovative system allows ships to tap into the limitless power of the wind and sun via a combination of rigid sails and marine-grade photovoltaic panels.

Link to article:EMP Website  LinkedIn

Research paper: Analysis of marine solar power trials on Blue Star Delos

Journal of Marine Engineering and Technology. November 2016.

In October 2014 the high speed car and passenger ferry Blue Star Delos was fitted with a marine solar power system. This was done as part of a project to study the use of renewable energy on large ships. In May 2015 while the ship operated in the Aegean Sea, the performance of system was checked and a range of data collected. This paper is focused on the analysis of these data and the evaluation of two days of system trials.

Link to article: Taylor & Francis Online

Aquarius MRE - Wind and Solar Power for Ships

Company Discussion Paper - 23rd July, 2016 (Latest revision 31st October 2018)

The trend towards using renewable and alternative energy sources on land has gathered momentum over the last decade as governments, companies and the general public tackle the issues of air pollution, energy security and climate change. However at sea, the shift towards the widespread adoption of alternative energy is only now beginning to take shape.

Full Article: EMP Website 

Industry Insight: Hybrid Wind Marine Propulsion Systems, a 200 Year Old Idea

Ship and Bunker - 29th May, 2015.

On May 24, 1819 the SS Savannah made history as the first wind power hybrid steamship to cross the Atlantic. The journey from her namesake city in Georgia, US, to Liverpool, England, took 29 days. While she only used steam power for 90 hours of that time, the potential for hybrid marine power had been shown.

Full Article: Link to Website

Eco Marine Power: Sustainable shipping technology

Maritime CEO - 23rd May 2013.

Fukuoka: Japan is well known for its green tech prowess. Concept designs from the big companies such as NYK and MOL often look like Hollywood sci-fi creations. Nearly three-year-old Eco Marine Power is one of a number of companies in the country coming up with environmentally novel and creative solutions for ships. The difference with this firm is that one of its founders comes from another nation that prizes a clean environment, Australia.

Full Article: Link to Website

EMP advances EnergySail technology for green shipping

South China Morning Post - October 19th 2012.

With the importance of a green, sustainable future, it’s high-time to bring sails back on ships. Focused on designing eco-friendly power and propulsion systems for ships, Eco Marine Power (EMP) is determined to make this happen through the EnergySail, its innovative rigid sail.

Full Article:  PDF Original

Green Shipping with Wind & Solar Power

Company Presentation - 21st August 2012.

Around 90% of world trade (by volume) is carried by international shipping and it is an essential part of the modern world economy, however ships are also responsible for the release of a range of noxious gases and carbon dioxide. By using wind and solar power on ships these emissions can be reduced and our dependence on fossil fuels lessened.

Full Article: EMP Website

Sustainable Shipping & Renewable Energy Technologies

Company Article - 21st June 2012

The world's merchant fleet consists of around 100,000 ships and these are estimated to consume 250 million tonnes of bunker fuel annually. Just one Capesize Bulk Carrier or Bulker can use 40 metric tonnes or fuel or more a day leading to an annual fuel consumption of approximately 10,400 tonnes. This results in the emission of around 32,988 tonnes of CO2 and 959 tonnes of SOx or more. Clearly there is an opportunity to significantly reduce fossil fuel use and noxious gas emissions by using renewable energy on ships.

Full Article: EMP Website

Dawning of the Age of Aquarius

First Published: Maritime Reporter & Engineering News - November 2011.

In 1819 the SS Savannah was the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean, however most of the distance covered during that historic voyage was due to sail power. The steam engines were fitted to act as a secondary propulsion source and designed to be used only when there wasn’t enough wind present for the sails to move the vessel.

Full Article: EMP Website