UM Launches Collaborative Project To Cut Fuel Use During FOWT Towing
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Malta has officially launched TowFOWT, a cutting-edge research project aimed at reducing the environmental impact of floating offshore wind turbines.
TowFOWT (short for Development of a Drag Reduction Fairing to Reduce Fuel Consumption during Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Towing) is funded by Xjenza Malta and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MOST) through the SINO-MALTA Fund 2025 Call.
The project is a collaboration with leading Chinese institutions, including:
- Beijing Institute of Technology
- Tianjin University
- China Ship Scientific Research Centre
The University of Malta team is led by Prof. Christopher Micallef, Prof. Tonio Sant, Dr. Jean Paul Mollicone, along with researchers Martina Zammit and Nathaniel Scerri.
Why This Matters:
Malta’s offshore wind potential is mostly in deep waters exceeding 100 metres, too deep for traditional fixed-bottom turbines. Floating wind technology is key to harnessing this resource, but there’s a catch: towing these massive turbines from assembly ports to their final locations (and back for major maintenance) uses huge amounts of fuel and produces high emissions.
TowFOWT aims to solve this by developing a drag reduction fairing, a streamlined device that reduces hydrodynamic resistance during towing, helping tugboats use less fuel and cut emissions.
The research combines high-fidelity simulations using Computational Fluid Dynamics with scaled experimental testing to perfect the fairing’s design, all while ensuring stability in challenging sea conditions.
Global Collaboration for a Sustainable Future:
The project doesn’t just help Malta, it also addresses similar challenges in China, where massive floating wind farms are being developed offshore. By improving towing efficiency, TowFOWT contributes to Malta’s decarbonisation goals and supports a greener, more sustainable blue economy.
This initiative represents a major step forward in making floating wind deployments cleaner, more practical, and environmentally friendly, both locally and internationally.
With TowFOWT now underway, Malta is taking a bold step toward cleaner, smarter offshore energy. By combining cutting-edge engineering with international collaboration, this project not only promises to make floating wind turbines more efficient, but also highlights the island’s commitment to a sustainable blue economy and a greener future for generations to come.
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