E-merge consortium: merging cross-sectoral know-how to develop zero emission flying ships.

Fast ships are essential in the worldwide economy and therefore important in the energy transition. Due to high water resistance at high speeds these ships consume much energy, therefore it is challenging to make these ships more sustainable. We love a challenge!

A promising way to accelerate the move to zero-emission, is to make a ship fly with hydrofoils. These wings are assembled underneath the ship, to lift the hull out of the water above a certain speed. This results in a resistance reduction of at least 50%, while the comfort on the ship improves as the ship flies over the waves.

To utilize the potential of hydrofoils fully, we need a revolutionary design for the entire ship. A cross-sectoral consortium was created with partners from the maritime industry (C-Job Naval Architects, Flying Fish, De Haas Maassluis B.V. (Shipyard), MARIN (Maritime Research Institute Netherlands), Next Ocean - Increasing Operational Windows), the aviation industry (ADSE Consulting and Engineering, NLR - Netherlands Aerospace Centre), an academic institute (Technische Universiteit Delft) and the general mobility sector (zepp.solutions), to join forces and create an energy-efficient and lightweight design, which functions to its full potential both in the air and in the water.  

The consortium submitted a funding request to R&D Mobiliteitssectoren (RDM) and we’re patiently awaiting the results due in a few months’ time. We will inform you once we learn more about the funding results.  

Together we will change the worldwide market for fast ships, by making them fly!

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