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Cowes Isle of Wight Based Operator Commits to Installing AI Solar Cells on Vessels Following Successful Trials

14th August 2023
The first vessel to install the NanoDeck AI Solar tile management solution to capture carbon was the 8,500dwt UAL Osprey of the Cowes, Isle of Wight based operator Carisbrooke Shipping. Afloat adds, a fleetmate, the 11,000dwt Vectis Progress, was in Irish waters having called to Dublin Port on 3 August following a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from Montreal, Canada.
The first vessel to install the NanoDeck AI Solar tile management solution to capture carbon was the 8,500dwt UAL Osprey of the Cowes, Isle of Wight based operator Carisbrooke Shipping. Afloat adds, a fleetmate, the 11,000dwt Vectis Progress, was in Irish waters having called to Dublin Port on 3 August following a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from Montreal, Canada. Credit: CarisbrookeShippingLtd/facebook

International operator Carisbrooke Shipping Ltd based in Cowes, Isle of Wight and Rotterdam, The Netherlands, will install revolutionary solar cells on its dry-cargo vessels, to manage and store renewable energy following successful trials in Equatorial waters.

Carisbrooke Shipping which operates a fleet of dry-cargo multi-purpose vessels ranging from 5,000-30,000dwt, has signed a letter of intent with the Anglesey in Wales and the Manchester, England based Grafmarine to utilise the cutting-edge NanoDeck AI Solar tile management solution.

Over the past 12 months, companies have worked in partnership with Grafmarine, providing a vessel to test their NanoDeck technology, a solution which can be attached to any flat surface, in this case a cargo ship. This is where the technology will capture, store and remotely manage clean energy generation via AI solar technology.

The first Carisbrooke cargo ship to have the NanoDeck technology installed was the 8,500dwt UAL Osprey which took place in Middlesbrough port in north-east England. An engineering team placed the NanoDeck technology above the bridge.

The trials included a return voyage from Scotland to West Africa. During the voyage the NanoDeck sent live data that gave both organisations a better understanding of how the equipment will withstand the rigours within the context of a marine environment.

Asides the 2012 built UAL Osprey, there are plans to roll it the technology to multiple vessels when additional tests are successfully concluded.

BusinessNewsWales has more on this technology.

Published in Ports & Shipping
Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals. 

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