Carisbrooke Shipping Ltd, which operates a fleet of multi-purpose vessels from offices in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, signed a letter of intent with Anglesey and Manchester-based Grafmarine to utilise the NanoDeck AI Solar tile management solution.
The companies have worked in partnership over the last 12 months, as Carisbrooke have provided Grafmarine with a marine vessel to test their NanoDeck technology, a solution which can be attached to any flat surface – in this case, a cargo ship – to capture, store and remotely manage clean energy generation via AI solar technology.
This included a return voyage from Scotland to West Africa, when the NanoDeck sent live data that gave both organisations a better understanding of how the equipment will withstand the rigours of a marine environment.
The first vessel to install this solution was UAL Osprey, and there are plans to roll it out to multiple vessels when additional tests are successfully concluded.
Captain Simon Merritt for Carisbrooke Shipping said: “We are extremely excited to be the first trialling such innovative technology, which is already providing promising results. With further modifications and upgrades, we hope Grafmarine will find a viable solution not only for Carisbrooke but also the wider shipping industry to reduce their emissions and provide sustainable shipping above and beyond the goals set by the IMO (International Maritime Organization).”
The crew on the vessel will support Grafmarine with basic maintenance and monitoring of the hardware and solar cells. They will be trained on how to operate the system and access will be given to Grafmarine and partners to carry out assessments and collate results.
Photo by Alf Kåre Aasebø/shipspotting.com
