Press releases | 2024-03-18

One heart and one soul: Liebherr’s electric adjustment system for the wind-assisted drive by AYRO

Liebherr collaborates with AYRO to equip the first hybrid industrial cargo ship powered by wind
In the framework of the project, Liebherr produces some key electric adjustment systems for the wind-assisted drive by AYRO
Liebherr’s turnkey plug-and-play solution flexibly adapts to any application

Liebherr is proud to share its collaboration with AYRO, the French industrial start-up that recently successfully equipped the Canopée vessel with four OceanWings®, making it the first hybrid industrial cargo ship powered by wind. With a height of 37 metres and a surface area of 363 m² each, this automated, lowerable and patented vertical wingsail technology will help to reduce CO2 emissions by cutting fossil fuel consumption. As a part of such a meaningful project, Liebherr’s component product segment contributes to a more responsible, efficient and environmental-friendly maritime future.

AYRO and Liebherr set new standards for a more responsible, efficient and environmentally friendly maritime future. The French company has set itself the goal to make shipping greener and does so with Liebherr. As a multi-component manufacturer with a vast experience, Liebherr brings the expertise needed for the sophisticated wingsail system with it. AYRO’s 37-metre-high wingsails require a special solution due to their size, especially regarding its electrical actuators. And that’s where the Liebherr-Components team from Biberach an der Riss (Germany) comes into play.

One heart and one soul: a plug-and-play electric adjustment system for green shipping

The electric adjustment system consists of an adjustment module, control and power electronics. Each adjustment module contains a specific slewing bearing, gearboxes, electric motors and brakes to operate the large wingsails fully automatically.

To do so, AYRO required a sustainable shipping solution. ʹThat is where Liebherr embarked on a joint development as a component supplier to respond directly to the customer's needsʹ, explains Benjamin Schmid, Head of Sales Maritime Applications at Liebherr-Components AG. To offer a turnkey plug-and-play solution, Liebherr integrated all the relevant elements into the wingsails. ʹWith the electric adjustment system, therefore, higher wingsails can be turned, whereas the user saves the time-consuming assembly and the adjustment time. On top, we take care of the perfect interaction of the componentsʹ, says Benjamin Schmid. ʹIn this way, we are able to fully exploit all the advantages of our products as a system and are proud to have designed such an electric adjustment system together with AYRO. With this development, we set a milestone for green shippingʹ, summarizes Schmid.

About AYRO

AYRO, a leader in maritime transport decarbonation, is a French industrial start-up that designs, manufactures and markets OceanWings®, rigid wings designed for installation on cargo ships and yachts, helping to reduce CO2 emissions by cutting fossil fuel consumption. For more information, please visit: https://ayro.fr/ or contact [email protected].

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Alexandra Nolde

Liebherr-Components AG Brown Boveri Straße 7 5400 Baden Switzerland

+41 562 9643-26

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