Projects
Wind and solar solutions for the energy transition in shipping.
WHISPER is a European innovation project led by Verkís that aims to develop and test modular technology solutions that can be installed on existing vessels. The goal is to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions from the commercial shipping fleet.
WHISPER brings together 13 partners from across Europe to develop and test three technology solutions for the energy transition in shipping:
The solutions are designed with the retrofit of existing vessels in mind, with an emphasis on integrating the technologies into existing ships while requiring minimal modifications.
Verkís leads the project and is responsible for project management and a range of technical activities, including system integration, life-cycle assessment (LCA), aerodynamic simulations and sustainability advisory.
An important part of the project is testing the technologies under real operating conditions. In August 2026, sea trials began on two vessels. On board the Maria Topic, an Ultramax bulk carrier operated by Ant. TOPIC, OceanWings rigid wingsails are being tested together with Solbian solar panels. On board the Helgafell, a Samskip container vessel, SideWind containerised wind-energy systems are being tested together with Solbian solar panels.
The sea trials will provide valuable data on the operation, control and performance of the technologies under real-world conditions, as well as their potential for fuel savings, reliability and integration into the vessels’ day-to-day operations.
Fuel savings on bulk carriers
Fuel savings on container ships
Of global CO₂ emissions originate from shipping
Shipping plays a major role in global freight transport, and reducing emissions from the commercial fleet is essential to achieving the sector’s energy-transition and greenhouse-gas reduction targets.
One of the key challenges is developing solutions that can be installed on vessels already in operation without requiring extensive modifications or compromising safety, reliability or operational flexibility.
As project coordinator of WHISPER, Verkís leads an international consortium developing and testing modular solutions for existing vessels.
The project combines wind and solar technologies and explores how these solutions can be integrated into existing ships. Verkís contributes through project management, system integration, life-cycle assessment, aerodynamic simulations and expertise in sustainability and the energy transition.
WHISPER has now reached an important stage, with the technologies being tested at full scale under real operating conditions.
The sea trials aboard the Maria Topic and Helgafell will provide valuable data on the performance, reliability and potential of the technologies to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
Through the project, Verkís is contributing to international collaboration on practical solutions for the energy transition in shipping and their potential implementation across the existing commercial fleet.
WHISPER is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and runs until the end of 2026.
Technical information
Location:
European
Project period:
2023 – 2026
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