Progress is strong at the Oceanbird testsite in Landskrona. Now, the 100-ton prototype foundation is installed outside and ready to support the 40-meter-high steel mast and composites that make up the land-based test wing.
Two full-scale prototypes are ready for assembly this spring: First up is the land-based wing used for testing, crew training, and optimizing the automation system. This provides valuable experience and know-how, as the second installation will be made onboard our demonstrator vessel, Tirranna.
Last week, a significant milestone was reached when the foundation of the land-based prototype was moved from the assembly hall at Oresund Drydocks to its new location by the water.
“It feels great today to reach this point in the project. It’s like the ending of a chapter when we are transporting the foundation outside”, says the Landskrona Site Manager, Björn Ohlsson.
During the upcoming months, the steel mast that carries the heavy loads will be installed, followed by the composites making up the aerodynamic shape. The first tilting of the testwing is planned to happen this April:
“Then we will start to actuate it: tilt it up and down, fold it, and eventually we will start to sail on land to measure the forces we create with this design,” says Magnus MackAldener, Head of R&D at Oceanbird.
When it comes to Tirranna, the foundation sides for the wing have already been mounted on the deck. Now, each time the vessel arrives in a European port, another part will be installed onboard. We do it step by step to avoid off-hire and ensure sufficient testing of each segment before moving on to the next. Later this year, the actual wing sail will be lifted onboard and start its journey to more sustainable shipping:
“There we will show the wing in its real condition, where we have heavy sea and different winds, and we will see the value it brings to the customers. We build the first sail on land to get to a safe space where we can learn and improve before we put it into real tests on Tirranna,” says Magnus MackAldener.
