20% fuel saving for commercial vessels through a hybrid wind plus motor cruise mode: SeagateSail

Programmes: 
H2020-EU.3.4. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport
H2020-EU.2.3.1. - Mainstreaming SME support, especially through a dedicated instrument
Topic: IT-1-2014-1 - Small business innovation research for Transport
Call for proposal: H2020-SMEINST-1-2014
Funding Scheme: SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1
Grant agreement ID: 650195

Objective
Seagate is developing an innovative collapsible-automatic-retrofittable delta wing sail that can be applied to commercial vessels. Seagate Sail and cruise control aims to provide an adoptable and beneficial solution for commercial ship owners to reduce their fuel bills and cut emissions by 20%. The system is able to offer a solution to both problems whilst at the same time being suited to the needs of commercial ships, which makes the solution unique and highly desirable. The Seagate Sail, installed on the vessel’s deck, will convert wind into driving force. The Seagate Cruise Control will convert the driving force into fuel saving, by proportionally reducing the engine power. With the Seagate solution, the vessel will cruise at the original speed (and therefore keep to the Estimated Time of Arrival) using 20% less fuel.
The solution is at a mature stage of development and therefore the feasibility assessment will focus on the development of the industrial chain to set-up and validate the scale-up production of Seagate Sail, a sound IP management strategy, solid financial projections and the sale agreements for the commercialisation. The sails will be developed in Europe involving different industrial partners, managed by a British and Italian team. Once commercialised, Seagate will maintain its headquarters and manufacturing activities in Europe offering new job opportunities across the continent. Seagate aims to set a commercial partnership with a top European engine supplier to speed up the commercial growth of its products in Europe and Worldwide.