Techno economic and environmental assessment of Flettner rotors for marine propulsion

Wind energy is a mature renewable energy source that offers significant potential for near-term (2020) and long-term (2050) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions. Similar to all sectors of the transportation industry, the marine industry is also focused towards reduction of environmental emissions. A direct consequence of this being is a renewed interest in utilising wind as supplementary energy source for propulsion on cargo/merchant ships.

This research utilises a techno economic and environmental analysis approach to assess the possibility and benefits of harnessing wind energy, with an aim to establish the potential role of wind energy in reducing GHG emissions during conventional operation of marine vessels. The employed approach enables consistent assessment of different competing traditional propulsion systems when operated in conjunction with a novel environmental friendly technology, in this instance being the Flettner rotor technology. The assessment specifically focuses on quantifying the potential and relative reduction in fuel consumption and pollutant emissions that may be accrued while operating on typical Sea Lines of Communication.

The results obtained indicate that the implementation of Flettner towers on commercial vessels could result in potential savings of up to 20% in terms of fuel consumption, and similar reductions in environmental emissions.