WHISPER moves to full-scale sea trials with wind propulsion and solar power retrofit aboard bulk carrier

Reykjavík, 25 August 2026 – The WHISPER project today announced the successful completion of OceanWings rigid wingsail retrofit installation aboard the Ant Topic‘s Ultramax bulk carrier Maria Topic, as well as the final installation of Solbian solar panels on board. The vessel now returns to commercial service, marking a major milestone in the WHISPER project as sea trials commence.

The demonstration, which is the first of two full-scale commercial shipping campaigns within WHISPER, will generate operational evidence on how modular technologies can be retrofitted to existing vessels while preserving the safety, reliability and operational flexibility required in commercial shipping.

The rigid tiltable OceanWings system has been developed for easy integration on an operating bulk carrier. By using wind to provide propulsive assistance, the system is intended to reduce the power required from the vessel’s main engine and, consequently, fuel consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions.

Solbian’s solar panels supply renewable electricity for onboard use and contribute to WHISPER’s wider objective of reducing demand on auxiliary generation.

With ongoing sea trials, the project now moves from installation to evidence-gathering. The trials will examine system performance in real operating conditions, including energy production, fuel-saving potential, reliability, vessel integration and the implications for routine ship and port operations.

“Maria Topic follows Paolo Topic in our journey towards more sustainable shipping. By adding wind-assisted propulsion to an existing bulk carrier, we are continuing to invest in practical technologies that reduce fuel consumption and emissions across our fleet. OceanWings and TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING demonstrated a strong understanding of our operational requirements, allowing the retrofit to be completed within a standard dry dock period .” said Alex Albertini, CEO, Topic.

“Maria Topic is the latest proof that our technology is delivering where it matters most: in commercial operation. We designed OceanWings to be simple, robust and adapted to the realities of bulk shipping. This project marks an important industrial milestone for OceanWings, demonstrating our ability to manufacture, deliver and deploy our technology at commercial scale everywhere in the world,” said Emmanuel Schalit, CEO, OceanWings.

“Marine decarbonisation requires technologies that work together and can be integrated into existing vessels. By tailoring our solar system to the Maria Topic, we are turning an available surface into a source of clean onboard power. These sea trials are an important opportunity to validate that integrated approach in real operating conditions,” said Luca Bonci, CEO, Solbian.

The sea trials on board the Maria Topic will help the consortium confirm the expected performance of both technologies in day-to-day operations and validate the potential for wider replication across the existing merchant fleet. The resulting evidence will inform technical development, future vessel integration, lifecycle assessment and the project’s work on pathways to commercial uptake.

WHISPER project partners will share initial operational insights during SMM Hamburg in September 2026. See schedule of events here. The WHISPER consortium will continue collecting and analysing data through the sea-trial campaign before reporting validated project results.

For further information, please contact:

media@whisperenergy.eu

About the WHISPER project

The aim of the WHISPER project is to develop fully modular retrofit solutions for container ships and bulk carriers, to reduce GHG emissions from the long-distance maritime industry, utilizing three novel technologies. The project began on 1 January 2023 and runs until 31 December 2026.

Data and operational experience from the voyage will support the consortium’s evaluation of the system and inform the next phase of technical validation.

Another part of the WHISPER project are concept designs, developed by Stirling Design International, utilizing the technologies within the WHISPER project for future builds. See here a video on concepts for future builds.

The WHISPER consortium comprises Verkís, SideWind, OceanWings, Solbian, CANOE, Ant. Topic, Dotcom, Samskip, Stirling Design International, BBA//Fjeldco, Lloyd’s Register, Athygli, and Inspiralia.

www.whisperenergy.eu

The work and research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101096577.

Lloyd’s Register is funded by UK Research and Innovation under project agreement No. 10065742.