Oceanbird has successfully installed and completed sea trials of its 46-meter-high Wing560 rigid wing sail aboard Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s 230-meter car carrier, Tirranna, marking a major milestone for commercial wind-assisted propulsion. Moving from land-based prototype to real-world validation, the joint venture between Wallenius and Alfa Laval will now collect operational data ahead of its next planned multi-wing installations in 2027.
Sweden | July 2, 2026 – In a major breakthrough for wind-assisted ship propulsion (WASP), Oceanbird has successfully completed the installation and initial sea trials of its premier Wing560 rigid wing sail aboard the Tirranna, a 230-meter car carrier operated by Wallenius Wilhelmsen.
The successful completion of both Harbour Acceptance Testing (HAT) and Sea Acceptance Testing (SAT) transitions the technology from a land-based prototype into a live, commercial-scale marine deployment.
Direct Move from Certification to Retrofit
The installation follows a crucial regulatory milestone in early June 2026, when classification society DNV granted design approval for the Wing560, certifying its compliance with international maritime safety and technical standards.
Following the approval, retrofitting operations commenced rapidly:
- Location: Damen Shipyard in Rotterdam
- Timeline: June 21–24, 2026
- Vessel Departure: June 24, 2026, fully equipped for sea trials.
The Wing560 structure stands 46 meters high and measures 14 meters wide. Crucially for car carriers and port operations, the rigid wing features a tiltable mechanism, allowing it to be lowered to clear overhead clearances, navigate bridges, or minimize wind resistance during loading operations.
Data Collection and Real-World Validation
As Oceanbird’s inaugural onboard prototype, the Tirranna deployment will serve as a floating laboratory. Over the coming months, Oceanbird technical specialists will sail aboard the vessel to gather real-world performance data.
The monitoring phase will evaluate:
- Aerodynamic Efficiency: Measuring actual fuel savings and emission reductions across varying sea states and wind corridors.
- Operational Integration: Assessing how the automated wing interacts with the vessel’s existing bridge controls, navigation systems, and crew workflows.
- Safety and Redundancy: Testing the automated safety overrides and tilting functions under genuine maritime conditions.
“Our team has worked incredibly hard to get here, and we are immensely proud of the talent, research, and dedication behind this prototype,” said Amrit Bhullar, CEO of Oceanbird. “We are excited to see Wing560 perform at sea and demonstrate the value of our work. This installation represents an important step forward in our mission to bring wind propulsion to commercial shipping.”
Joint Venture and Stakeholder Alignment
Oceanbird was founded as a joint venture between maritime engineering heavyweights Wallenius and Alfa Laval. Leaders from across the partnering entities underscored the collaborative nature of the project.
Lars Ekren, Senior Manager – Newbuildings and Conversions at Wallenius Wilhelmsen, said “Exploring wind-assisted propulsion builds on a long history of testing new solutions to improve energy efficiency in our fleet.”
Martijn Bergink, President, Ocean Division at Alfa Laval, said “With the successful installation and sea trial, Oceanbird has moved from vision to reality, and we are proud to be part of this journey.”
Erik Nøklebye, CEO of Wallenius Line, said “The installation of the first Oceanbird wing on a vessel operated within the Wallenius sphere is something we are very pleased to see.”
Future Commercial Outlook
With the Tirranna prototype validated at sea, Oceanbird is advancing its commercialization pipeline. The company has already lined up its next commercial milestones, indicating market scalability beyond the initial pilot:
| Deployment Phase | Vessel Detail | Timeline |
| Upcoming Installation | Two (2) Wing560 units on an undisclosed vessel | Preparation underway |
| Planned Installation | Full system integration | Spring 2027 |
The successful deployment on a specialized vessel like a Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC), which inherently features a massive windage area, proves the technical viability of rigid wing sails in challenging shipping segments, paving a new path forward for global fleet decarbonization.
About Oceanbird
Oceanbird develops cutting-edge wind assist and primary wind propulsion solutions for the global shipping industry. Founded as a joint venture between Wallenius and Alfa Laval, the company is dedicated to driving the maritime energy transition by delivering scalable, truly sustainable wind power technologies that dramatically reduce commercial fleet emissions.
About Wallenius Wilhelmsen
The Wallenius Wilhelmsen group is a market leader in roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) shipping and vehicle logistics, managing the distribution of cars, trucks, rolling equipment, and breakbulk to customers all over the world. The company operates around 125 vessels servicing 15 trade routes to six continents, a global inland distribution network, 66 processing centers, and seven marine terminals. With its head office in Oslo, Norway, the Wallenius Wilhelmsen group has 9,500 employees in 28 countries worldwide.
Source: Oceanbird | Wallenius Wilhelmsen