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(Clermont-Ferrand, France) has received its first commercial contract with the French Directorate General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries, and Aquaculture (DGAMPA) for the adoption of its Wisamo composites-intensive retractable wingsail on a new offshore patrol vessel to address maritime transport decarbonization. Michelin will be working closely with naval architecture firm Mauric and Socarenam Shipyard toward the project’s success.

Michelin’s Wisamo wingsail, with a surface area of 170 square meters, will provide additional wind-assisted propulsion to complement the hybrid diesel-electric system. A fuel consumption reduction of approximately 15% is expected through optimization of the vessel’s design and operational profile. Together, these features will meet DGMPA’s expectations in terms of environmental performance without impacting the ship’s operations and without limiting its intervention capabilities.

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The Wisamo concept consists of a telescopic, inflatable wingsail that harnesses wind to propel ships. It includes an intuitive, automated control system and a simplified interface that is said to reduce the shortcomings of vessel integration. Adaptable to a wide range of ships over 15-20 meters, Michelin’s wingsail can be used as a primary propulsion system or in a hybrid configuration providing additional energy to supplement the engine.

The envelope is made of a light, robust fabric similar in composition to that of a traditional boat sail. It is inflated at low pressure at the same time as the mast is deployed, using a small wind tunnel to give the wing a symmetrical profile without being deformed by wind or impact. Thanks to a number of sensors in the wing, the latter adapts on its own to the wind direction and orientates itself as best it can to maximize performance. The structural part that houses it and the mast is made of fiberglass composites.

The self-supporting telescopic mast, made from carbon fiber, is fully retractable so that it can be completely hidden away depending on use, for example, when passing under a bridge or to make maneuvering in port easier.

Michelin will be involved from the watercraft’s early design and development phases in 2025. It will also follow up on the onboard installation, scheduled for early 2027, until the full handover of the equipment. The Michelin teams will also be present for the sea trials, expected to take place at the end of that same year.

DGAMPA’s patrol vessel project will be successor to the Iris, which was designed nearly 40 years ago. It will be used for surveillance of shipping, fisheries control, maritime pollution control, compliance with environmental regulations, and assistance and rescue. It will be based in La Rochelle and operated on the Atlantic coast, particularly in the Bay of Biscay, where the Wisamo wing has already been tested for several months in 2023 on the ro-ro MN Pelican, demonstrating the endurance of its system.

In the coming years, Michelin aims to develop a broad range of Wisamo wingsails to support the decarbonization of all types of ships, including sizeable vessels (large pleasure craft and work or cargo vessels, from 60 feet to 60 meters).