BLUEFINS, a whale fin for less energy-consuming boats

Problem and results :
- Commercial vessels, consumers of heavy fuel oil, have undertaken to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
- The “fin” developed by Bluefins and Ifremer enables an average reduction of 20% in fuel consumption.

LNG carriers, oil tankers, container ships, cruise ships… These behemoths of the sea are increasingly equipping themselves to limit their fuel consumption. The new solution developed by the start-up Bluefins and Ifremer is a hydrofoil that uses wave energy to help propel ships.

Inspired by whale fins. A hydrofoil is a lifting wing, in the water. It is profiled, a bit like an airplane wing, so as to act on the speed and stability of the boat. The foil invented by Bluefins and Ifremer is positioned at the rear of the boat, like a tail fin of a whale.

An aid to the propulsion of the ship. Placed at the stern of the ships, the hydrofoil is attached to a large articulated arm and driven by the pitching movement of the ship (which is itself caused by the waves). The greater this movement, the more it generates useful energy for the ship to move forward. Result: a 20% to 30% saving in fuel consumption, over the life of the vessel. An innovation intended for merchant ships, which alone generate 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Retractable and compatible with other systems. This innovative system has two advantages: it is retractable and can be taken out of the water if the swell conditions are not optimal (absence or too many waves). Installed at the stern of the vessel, it can also supplement the energy gain that a kite wing or sails located on the deck would offer, without presenting any risks to the vessel.

Technical and financial support. Arriving with an idea in mind that had already been tested on digital models, Olivier Giusti joined Ifremer to develop his start-up project, via the Octo'pousse competition at Ifremer. He thus benefited from an 18-month fixed-term contract at Ifremer, support from specialists to develop his technology and test it in the basin. Ifremer also helped him target a strong market to help him convince funders to support the development of his project.

A patent. Ifremer filed a patent on this propulsion system, which is now transferred and operated exclusively by the company BlueFins SAS. The performance of a 1/35th scale model was validated in 2022 in the Ifremer basin.

Bluefins is the 2022 winner of the i-Lab competition of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, which supports innovative companies and the creation of startups.

About the budget submitted to the pledge : 4 millions euros is the amount of fundings Bluefins need to achieve its R&D roadmap towards a first marketable product.