We are excited to be underway with our project on Supercharging Wind Propulsion, in collaboration with the University of Southampton and Scotline Limited. This effort has been made possible through co-funding by Innovate UK as part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.
We aim to demonstrate the feasibility and performance of Spaera's proprietary next generation Wind Propulsion Technology (WPT), as well as push forward the assessment tools and methodologies available to the nascent WPT for commercial shipping industry. Our aim is to eradicate the gap between predicted performance of WPT and delivered results, using the highest fidelity and most complete approach in virtual performance modelling seen in industry to date.
Backed by leading experts from the world of EV automotive, F1 motorsport and maritime we will validate our results through physical correlation, leveraging the University of Southampton's world leading facilities, including the 138-metre towing tank at their Boldrewood Innovation campus.
Scotline Ltd, operating vessels that represents over 40% of the UK coastal fleet, will act as end customer representatives, ensuring the use of accurate and real-world representative data, enabling us to deliver on our promises of closing the gap between predicted and delivered performance.
Resolving performance prediction of our WPT enables us to move forward with our zero-emission novel ship design, that will fully harness the potential of the wind, changing its status from just an efficiency measure to a significant contributor towards vessel propulsion, under a wide range of conditions.
"The maritime industry has been quietly carrying the rest of the business world on its back for a long time, but its GHG and other emissions have also gone largely under the radar. As one of the industries with the most intense energy requirements, it faces one of the biggest challenges in the transition to sustainability. We believe that a true solution cannot be limited to just switching to a different fuel, but rather adjusting larger aspects of the surrounding framework to allow for less compromised, more holistic strategy. Spaera is leveraging techniques and understanding from other industries and adapting them to maritime applications. The goals are to dramatically reduce the amount of energy that needs to be carried onboard a cargo ship, and then to fulfil that remaining need with renewable sources." - Rob Palin, Spaera Founder
This project is part of the CleanMaritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 (CMDC4), funded by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered by Innovate UK. CMDC4 is part of the Department’s UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme, a £206m initiative focused on developing the technology necessary to decarbonise the UK domestic maritime sector.
Notes for editors
About Spaera
Spaera is a technology start-up aiming to accelerate the transition of the maritime industry to net zero harmful emissions.
Step one of our plan to achieve sustainability in maritime is to maximise the amount of free, clean, zero emission energy available to route and schedule-bound commercial logistics operations, through proprietary, scalable, wind propulsion systems. Using latest-generation Computational Fluid Dynamic simulation tools and industry-leading aerodynamic expertise, we aim to deliver more useful power under a wider array of real-world conditions than currently available offerings. In parallel we are developing the tools to ensure vessel owners and operators are able to accurately assess the beneficial impact of this technology before investing, and once implemented, harness its full potential, through leading edge route optimisation.
Our end goal is to integrate this technology into a holistic new build design, maximized for efficiency and utilising a zero-emission powertrain to fulfil the remaining energy burden.
About the University of Southampton
The University of Southampton has a strong history of involvement in EU-funded and EPSRC projects, as well as previous rounds of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition. The University of Southampton Marine and Maritime department has over 350 specialists working across academic divides, and in partnership with external organisations, to address issues in the natural ocean environment (marine) and human use of the sea (maritime). We foster new research collaborations, educate the next generation of maritime leaders, and generate knowledge and intelligence for businesses, governments and organisations. To support these efforts, the University of Southampton boasts comprehensive facilities within the marine and maritime institute, including the largest university towing tank in the UK.
About Scotline
Scotline has exclusive use, under time charter, of a fleet of eleven vessels (representing 40% of the British coastal fleet and about 12% of the total British commercial fleet), with two more vessels under commercial management. It has exclusive use of two terminals at Rochester on the river Medway and operates a further independent timber terminal at Inverness. From these terminals it is able to arrange competitive distribution across England, Scotland and Wales.
About CMDC4
In March 2022, the UK Government announced the biggest government investment ever in our UK commercial maritime sector, allocating £206m to UK SHORE, a new programme within the Department for Transport focused on decarbonising the maritime sector. UK SHORE is delivering a suite of interventions throughout 2022-2025 aimed at accelerating the design, manufacture and operation of UK-made clean maritime technologies and unlocking an industry-led transition to Net Zero.
The UK SHORE programme includes the flagship multi-yearClean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) which provides match-funding to help bring pre-commercial technologies closer to market readiness. CMDC4 allocated £33m to 33 projects across the UK to deliver demonstrations, pre-deployment trials and feasibility studies between April 2024 – March 2025. The projects are supported by over 120 partners and will leverage more than £16m of private investment.
CMDC4 follows the successful first three rounds of the CMDC, which allocated over £95m to 105 projects. CMDC1 was launched in 2021, prior to UK SHORE.
About Innovate UK
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is creating a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in businesses developing life-changing innovations.
We provide targeted sectors with expertise, facilities and funding to test, demonstrate and evolve their ideas, driving UK productivity and economic growth. Join our network and communities of innovators to realise the potential of your ideas and accelerate business growth. Innovate UK: inspiring business innovation.
Contact Details
For more information please contact https://www.spaera.eco/contact