Page 21: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 2022)

IFREMAR now. Blue? ns exempli? es creative, out-of-the-box ideas. But marine ? sheries and oceanography agencies. Its programs are not wild-eyed ideas. Rather, ideas focused and grounded on international in scope. IFREMER manages the French Ocean- ways to support shipping and vessels as they operate today, ographic Fleet. Its budget is 240M€ annually and it operates ideas that can maintain large scale, ef? cient maritime opera- under the joint authority of the French Ministry for Higher tions. Potentially, Blue? ns could cut CO2 from vessels by 20% Education, Research and Innovation, the French Ministry for without impacting a vessel’s standard operations and practices. the Ecological and Solidary Transition, and the French Minis-

On one level, Blue? ns is a singular start-up, the brainchild try of Agriculture and Food. Its vision is to advance science, of a naval architect and a mechanical engineer with a com- expertise and innovation in three broad areas: bined 40 years of maritime experience. On another level, • Protect and restore the ocean;

Blue? ns highlights the supportive infrastructure established • Sustainably use marine resources to bene? t society; and, by French industrial and business associations, established • Create and share ocean data, information & knowledge.

speci? cally to connect new ideas with money, research and During a meeting at the Blue? ns’ lab and development site, business expertise to create new energy tools – again, work- Guisti explained that the germ of the Blue? ns idea, and its work- able projects at scale, not laboratory R&D. Finally, there’s a ing concept, are based on propulsion dynamics observed in third level: French governmental and public institutions are whale tail ? ns. Blue? ns seeks to design a zero fuel auxiliary pro- all-in with supporting these initiatives. The result is a rich, pulsion system that converts energy from waves. In its construct, deep and well-connected economic and creative milieu to se- the Blue? n will consist of a hydrofoil attached to a ship’s stern lect and foster promising projects and help them advance. through a set of mechanical articulations. “Just like a whale’s tail

Olivier Guisti is Blue? ns’ CEO, a naval architect and expert ? n propels the animal forward,” Guisti said, “our hydrofoil con- in hydrodynamics. Dominique Leroux is CTO, a mechanical verts the pitching motion of the ship into forward propulsion.” engineer who spent 20 years at IFREMER, the French re- He further referred to the invention as a “caudal ? n.” search institute. His work focuses on designing mechanical In addition to fuel savings – and CO2 reduction – the external and hydraulic systems meant for oceanographic exploration. device will reduce vessel pitch. Container ships, LNG carriers,

IFREMER – l’Institut Francais de Recherché Pour tankers and bulk carriers are expected future markets. Controls l’Exploitation de La Mer – or “French Research Institute for will allow maximum gains in varying wave and wind condi-

Exploitation of the Sea” is France’s premier ocean science tions. Importantly, the ? n can be raised out of the water and set research institute, established in 1984, a merger of existing securely when sea conditions are not favorable, and the lifted

Image Credit - Olivier Dugornay/IFREMAR www.marinelink.com 21

MR #12 (18-33).indd 21 12/4/2022 3:38:28 PM