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International Windship Association | March 29, 2024

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Archive News 2021

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  • On January 1, 2021

December 2021

28 December – New IWSA Newsletter Download – We have released the latest IWSA newsletter, which goes out to over 2,000 subscribers. If you would like to subscribe then please sign up on our campaign website at www.decadeofwindpropulsion.org You can also download a pdf version here: December 2021 Newsletter

For back issues

April 2021 Newsletter 
October 2020 Newsletter
April 2020 Newsletter
December 2019 Newsletter
July 2019 Newsletter
February 2019 Newsletter
October 2018 Newsletter

23 December – Futuristic sailing vessel to ship salmon from Norway to the UK and Netherlands: SC Connector new route will be launched on 12 January 2022. Read more…

22 December – Installation Announcement: bound4blue has installed an 18-metre-high eSAIL® on “La Naumon”, the theatre vessel of the world-acclaimed La Fura dels Baus and the production company Elipsis Onboard.
-The manufacturing and commissioning of bound4blue’s technology, together with its installation by Astander, are co-funded by the European Union, in the framework of the GREENing the Blue project (CINEA – European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency). Press Release (English)

22 December – Canopée Vessel Under Construction at the Neptune yard. From 2023, the Canopée will transport the parts of the Ariane 6 rocket between European ports and French Guiana. With more than 50% completed, the ship is due to be delivered by the end of 2022. It will be the 1st of its kind to be equipped with the AYRO wings.

22 December – The latest IWSA Newsletter is now available. If you would like to receive a copy of this newsletter (released 2/3 times a year), then please sign up at the bottom of our ‘Decade of Wind Propulsion’ campaign page.

20 December – A Historic Moment – the two largest wind-assist vessels in the world meet off the coast of South Africa for the first time. The newly launched VLOC bulker Sea Zhoushan chartered by Vale with five rotor sails in operation and the VLCC tanker, New Vitality operated by China Merchants Energy Shipping Co., Ltd. (CMES) and fitted with two retractable rigid sails.

16 December – MTCC Africa Regional Industry Forum – IWSA Secretary General, Gavin Allwright sits on the IMO/EU MTCC stakeholders advisory committee and was asked to deliver an innovation/technology cluster perspective on the value of the MTCC network and technology piloting and dissemination activities in the future to a group of African shipping executives, ports and other stakeholders. https://gmn.imo.org/ 

15 December – IWSA Annual General Meeting – held virtually again this year due to Covid and travel restrictions. Looking forward to discussing the 2022 priorities in the policy framework, decarbonisation pathways, working groups, hub development and other key development projects.

15 December – New Members – We would like to extend a warm welcome to the following new IWSA members and look forward to working together towards delivering our ‘Decade of Wind Propulsion’ objectives.

Bluewater Engineering (UK) – Full Member

GT Green Technologies Ltd (UK) – Associate Member

Nantes Saint-Nazaire Développement (France) – Registered Supporter

14 December – Airseas has moved ahead with their 500m2 Seawing kite system installation which was assembled along with the 35m deployment mast and storage module and installed on the 154m, 21,500 GT RoRo vessel, the Ville de Bordeaux owned by Louis Dreyfus Armateurs last week in La Rochelle. A very important first commercial installation which will be generating a lot of data and feedback for the company and critical operational experience for further installations in the coming year and beyond.

Read more…   Video Watch Here

14 December – Seatrade Maritime – Middle East Conference – Low Carbon Case Studies: Wind Propulsion – IWSA presentation including latest news from the tanker & bulker markets, the WASP project and a selection of large vessel primary wind propulsion projects. Alongside Norsepower presentation with a deeper dive into their main installations to date. https://www.seatrademaritime-middleeast.com/en/home.html 

12 December – Interview with IWSA Secretary General Gavin Allwright on the Conscious Design Podcast – discussing the development of wind propulsion, but also some of the challenges and the wider sustainability of shipping. Great to be celebrated for the impact we’re having but also importantly increasing the outreach beyond the industry with positive messages of hope and change for the swift decarbonisation of shipping in this decade.

Listen Here

08 December – Zéphyr & Borée has been awarded Approval in Principle (AiP) by Bureau Veritas for its first wind-assist open-top 185m, 1,800 TEU containership. Propulsion means are compliant with IMO’s Tier III requirements, and the vessel is equipped with shaft generators and a heat recovery system that minimizes fuel consumption. The vessel’s propulsion system will be assisted by eight sails provided by Computed Wing Sails (CWS).

Read more…

03 December – Wallenius Marine & Alfa Laval have formalised their 50/50 joint venture, known as AlfaWall Oceanbird with Niclas Dahl as its new managing director. The Oceanbird concept is to install wing sails on a transatlantic car carrier with a capacity of 7,000 vehicles. The solution should cut emissions by up to 90% compared to today’s most energy-efficient vessels at an average speed of 10 knots. Read more…

02 December – TEDx talk by IWSA Secretary General, Gavin Allwright – follows some of his personal sustainability journey, talks about the great potential of wind propulsion to deliver a sustainable, green and prosperous shipping industry and picks up on the TEDx Cowes theme of taking personal responsibility for the change we want to see in the maritime space and how our actions can support that process in commercial shipping. Watch here

01 December – Listening to the Wind: Interview with bound4blue – Talking with David Ferrer Desclaux, CTO and Project Manager at bound4blue about their systems, the development of the company and recent fishing vessels installation. David also shares his insights into the market development and future for wind propulsion systems.  Watch here

01 December – New Members – We would like to extend a warm welcome to the following new and upgraded IWSA members and look forward to working together towards delivering our ‘Decade of Wind Propulsion’ objectives.

Grain de Sail (France) – Full Member

Blue Schooner Company (France) – Associate Member

Vaisala (Finland) – Associate Member

Hexcel Corporation (UK) – Registered Supporter

01 December – Tender Reminder – The following link is to a tender request from the Marshall Islands and German GiZ “Low carbon emission vessel-Marshall Islands”. The tender is for the ‘Design, construction and delivery of a low carbon emission island supply vessel’ and the deadline is 17 Dec 2021.

Full details of the tender are available here 

November 2021

30 Nov – 01 Dec – WASP project General Meeting held in Denmark and onboard the wind-assist Scandlines Ferry, MV Copenhagen.

Two days of project updates, overview of the five vessel installations and current progress along with initial validated performance results. WASP website

30 November 2021 – Research: Tack to the future: how feasible is weather routing for wind-assisted ships?
A new fellowship conducted by Dr James Mason at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research will investigate the real-time feasibility of combining wind propulsion with weather routing to cut carbon in international shipping. Building on previous Tyndall Centre research that highlights how weather routing can amplify savings from Flettner rotors by over 1.5 times, the new fellowship aims to understand how well savings translate when used in a real-time operational environment.

The Tyndall Centre are looking for stakeholders to participate in the project to identify barriers and challenges that prevent sail manufacturers, operators, ship owners and others from adopting this measure. While participation will involve discussions and interviews, participants will also have direct access to the researchers focusing on the decarbonisation agenda within the Tyndall Centre, alongside early sight of the results. Over the last decade, the team at Tyndall Manchester have published world-leading research on low-carbon shipping and have been a key influence in driving the decarbonisation agenda. Any level of participation is welcomed.

To express your interest in this opportunity, email Dr James Mason at james.mason@manchester.ac.uk

26 November – MEPC 77 adopted the updated and improved guide Guidance on Treatment of Innovative Energy Efficiency Technologies for Calculation and Verification of the Attained EEDI and EEXI. The Committee approved MEPC.1/Circular 896 providing updated guidance to manufacturers, shipbuilders, shipowners and other verifying parties relating to the application of EEDI and EEXI methodologies to innovative energy efficiency technologies. The circular provides a method of categorization for different energy efficiency technologies, including a significant update for wind-assisted propulsion systems. While this guidance update is significant the measures will be reviewed as their impact is further assessed and additional reference vessel data becomes available.

24 November – Announcement – Kongsberg Maritime and Norsepower have signed an MoU to facilitate the integration of auxiliary wind propulsion to new and existing vessels in diverse maritime markets. Read more… 

22 November – Announcement – AiP from DNV has been awarded to BAR Technologies for their WindWings system ahead of the first installation of the system in 2022, and deployment as part of the EU Horizon CHEK research project. Read more…

18 November – Call for Contributions is Open for Blueweek 2022 (13-17 June 2022, Rotterdam)
Independent and 100% sustainable forum covering waterborne transport, ocean energy and maritime infrastructures. Join us to present and share your projects, get inspired to challenge climate change in our seminars on:
– Natural Propulsion (wind, solar and waves to power Ships)
– Zero emission (sustainable alternative power for Ships)
– Ocean Energy (making smart use of the ocean to power our future)
– Blue Life (preserve our life on the blue planet).
More information on the date and the venue, www.blueforum.org

13 November – Announcement – IWSA AGM will be held on 15 December, 1300-1430 (UK time) along with an earlier 60 min discussion session for those members in time zones that preclude easy attendance for the main event. As usual the main proceedings will also be recorded.

12 November – Installation – Tharsis Sea-River Shipping has installed two retractable wing sails on their 88m, 2,364 dwt diesel-electric general cargo vessel, M/V Tharsis at the Neptune Shipyard in Hardinxveld-Giessendam, near Rotterdam. This installation of the eConowind wings sails is part of the EU WASP project. Read more…

12 November – Congratulations to the winners of the Wind Propulsion Innovation Awards 2021

Categories:

1 – Wind Propulsion Innovation Award for developers of innovative technology and installations and sponsored by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) was won by Anemoi Marine Technologies and Tufton Investment Management Ltd for the installation of rotor sails on Tufton’s TR Lady with the system to be installed on a rail system to allow cargo operations on the bulk carrier to continue uninterrupted.

2 – Wind Propulsion Technology User Award, sponsored by Thordon Bearings and presented to a company championing the use of wind propulsion through installing systems on ships, was won by Vale SA for the five rotor sails installed on the MV Sea Zhoushan, VLOC (Very Large Ore Carrier) 325,000 dwt, which is currently the largest ship in the world to have wind assist systems installed.

3 – Wind Propulsion Projects Award, spotlighting innovative projects that are furthering the uptake of wind propulsion, tackling barriers, or developing new technology and hybrid configurations and sponsored by Wärtsilä Marine Power was won by the Oceanbird project.This concept developed by Wallenius Marine is for a 7,000-unit capacity car carrier with primary wind propulsion enabling up to 90% reduced emissions, The project is now being carried forward by a joint venture with Alfa Laval named AlfaWall. Wallenius Wilhelmsen has announced that they intend to order a car-carrier called Orcelle Wind based on this that will be sailing in 2025.

4 – Small Vessel Award, sponsored by MARIN, was won by Advanced Wing Systems which has developed a flat panel morphing, semi rigid wing sail system which has tried and tested high aerodynamic performance system, and which is reportedly robust and cost effective for various rig configurations and can be automated.

5 – Completed Research Award, sponsored by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA), Kühne Logistics University (KLU) Hapag-Lloyd Center for Shipping and Global Logistics (CSGL), Dealfeng New Energy Technology and Econowind and won by the team behind the EU commissioned report, ‘Study on the Analysis of Market Potentials & Market Barriers for Wind Propulsion Technologies for Ships’.

6 – Proposed Research Award, sponsored by Green Marine, Norsepower and Yara Marine Technologies and won by Martina Reche Vilanova, North Technology Group for an upcoming research project which will focus on modelling, design, and cost optimization across a wide number of wind propulsion systems.

7 – Outstanding Contribution to the Wind Propulsion Sector, was given to Diane Gilpin, CEO of Smart Green Shipping for her long-standing commitment to wind propulsion and continued advocacy work for the overall technology segment. 

More details of all of the shortlisted projects and submission videos can be found at https://www.wind-ship.org/en/wind-propulsion-innovation-awards-2021/

11 November – Wind Propulsion Innovation Awards 2021 – Virtual Awards Ceremony
Following the key transport day at the COP26 today and to underscore the importance of positive, maritime decarbonisation projects and messages, the International Windship Association (IWSA) will hold the Wind Propulsion Innovation Award 2021 virtual awards ceremony on Thursday, 11 November from 0900-1030 UK time.

These awards have seven categories from innovation, technology user, projects and small vessel awards through to two research categories and one for outstanding contribution to the sector.  The 39 projects, papers and people were shortlisted by a panel of judges, many from leading industry stakeholders  and altogether these have received over 40,000 votes over the last two weeks https://www.wind-ship.org/en/wind-propulsion-innovation-awards-2021/

“These awards have been an opportunity for us to celebrate just a small number of the positive wind propulsion developments in the industry. With a growing number of ships installed with wind propulsion systems and momentum building to deploy decarbonisation solutions that are ready to go today, we hope that these awards have provided the industry and wider public a glimpse of these exciting developments underway and the pipeline to come. We hope you will join us on Thursday!” says Gavin Allwright, IWSA Secretary General.

The awards are sponsored by American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Thordon Bearings, Wärtsilä Marine Power, MARIN, The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA), Kühne Logistics University (KLU) Hapag-Lloyd Center for Shipping and Global Logistics (CSGL), Dealfeng New Energy Technology, Econowind, Green Marine, Norsepower and Yara Marine Technologies.

The awards will be streamed live from Glasgow as part of the Malin Spotlight series and can be watched on https://www.malinspotlightseries.com/ShippingPostCOP26Mainstage using the password: ShippingPostCOP26_L1VE_GlaCOP26

02 November – Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. have announced an agreement with Vale to conduct a joint study on the installation of a Rotor sail system from ANEMOI on a 200,000-ton class in-service bulk carrier, which mainly transports iron ore for steel production. Read more…

02 November – Shaping the Future of Shipping – IWSA will attend the key International Chamber of Shipping event at COP26 on 05-06 November. This will be the largest assembly of shipping executives and maritime states at COP being held at a critical moment in the industry. There are a series of potential decarbonisation pathways available to shipping, a spread of alternative fuels and technologies proposed and discussions around the level of ambition, the speed and urgency of change, carbon levies and the need for a fair and just energy transition within the sector. You can join the live stream here (and session recordings will be available afterwards too).

01 November – IRENA Coalition for Action – Renewable Energy & Employment – We are signatories to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Call For Action at Cop26. The International Windship Association and 130 other leading Renewable Energy bodies represented at COP26 and part of the IRENA Coalition for Action, are calling for “Immediate Actions to Accelerate Renewable Energy Jobs.”  COP26 delegates should embrace the urgent and large-scale scaling of renewable energy, as it brings huge potential for growth in quality employment and can help deliver a just and inclusive energy transition.

Our Secretary General is quoted here saying “There is huge potential for sustainable, quality employment in the renewable energy sector. This includes the transition towards direct wind propulsion in the shipping sector that will generate hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs adding to those in the zero-emissions fuel sector – it is vital that we have a just and inclusive energy transition – we call that a Win-Win-Wind situation.”

Call to  Action COP26_Press release

October 2021

26 October – New Member- We are very pleased to welcome our new member, Michelin and their WISAMO project. The Wing Sail Mobility (WISAMO) project is an automated, telescopic, inflatable wing sail system that can be fitted on both merchant ships and pleasure craft. The system is the product of a collaboration between Michelin Research & Development and two Swiss inventors who share the Group’s “all-sustainable” vision. Press Release

22 October – We are delighted to announce the shortlisted projects and open the voting for the second Wind Propulsion Innovation Awards. 

With 84 nominations received the shortlist was compiled by a shortlist panel of judges drawn from across the industry, academia, wind propulsion advocates and some general renewable energy/sustainability backgrounds. Judges Profiles

These awards recognise pioneering projects, technological innovation and the key people and companies making a real difference in advancing wind propulsion as a low carbon, truly sustainable option for the world’s commercial shipping fleet. There are seven categories of award this year, four of those are open to the public vote, three are for voting among IWSA members and registered supporters.

“Wind propulsion solutions are increasingly being viewed as a vital component in the drive to decarbonise the shipping industry. This is a sector that is gaining a lot of momentum and has a really powerful and positive story to tell, but still has a relatively low profile especially outside of the industry. We see that this situation is slowly changing and we hope that these wind propulsion innovation awards will help to further propel that change.”
 Gavin Allwright, IWSA Secretary General

The voting will be open until Sunday 07 November with the virtual awards ceremony to be held during the second week of COP26, in Glasgow from 0900-1030 (UK time) on Thursday 11 November. These awards are about telling positive stories of shipping innovation at an important event in our voyage towards a sustainable world and averting the worst ravages of the climate emergency.

We would like to thank all of our sponsors: ABS, Wärtsilä, Thordon Bearings, MARIN, The Royal Institution of Naval Architects, Yara Marine Technologies, Kühne Logistics University (KLU) Hapag-Lloyd Center for Shipping and Global Logistics (CSGL), Norsepower, Green Marine, Dealfeng New Energy Technology and eConowind.

MORE ABOUT OUR SPONSORS

08 October – Listening to the Wind – Announcing the latest in our ‘Listening to the Wind’ interviews after a break over the summer. This week features Per Tunell, COO of Wallenius Marine and future CEO of Alfawall Oceanbird who walks us through the primary wind Oceanbird project and also discusses the impacts of using wind as a primary mover, some of the challenges and how the direct harnessing of wind energy can be a real game changer in the decarbonisation of shipping. Watch Here

08 October – Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference – Beijing 14-16 Oct
IWSA Sec Gen. will bringing wind propulsion to the proceedings and will be presenting at one of the side events along with our members Peace Boat talking about how wind propulsion aligns with the SDG’s and holds huge potential for sustainable shipping over the coming decade. https://www.un.org/en/conferences/transport2021

Register Here

05 October – Wind Propulsion Innovation Awards
We have just concluded the Call for Nominations with over 70 submissions across the board and now the panel of shortlist judges have the challenging task to whittle those down to just five in each of the seven categories. See more

We are delighted to now announce each category sponsor:

CATEGORIES

1 – Wind Propulsion Innovation Award: SPONSORED BY: ABS 

2 – Wind Propulsion Technology User AwardSPONSORED BY: Thordon Bearings 

3 – Wind Propulsion Projects Award: SPONSORED BY: Wärtsilä Marine Power 

4 – Small Vessel Sector Award: SPONSORED BY: MARIN 

5 – Completed Research Award: SPONSORED BY: The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) // Kühne Logistics University (KLU) Hapag-Lloyd Center for Shipping and Global Logistics (CSGL)  // Dealfeng New Energy Technology  //  Econowind 
              

6 – Proposed Research Award: SPONSORED BY: Yara Marine Technologies // Green Marine // Norsepower
  

September 2021

30 September – European Sustainable Shipping Forum – Ship Energy Efficiency
IWSA has joined the EU DG Move ESSF sub group that discusses Ship Energy Efficiency measures, bringing a clear wind propulsion voice to the proceedings. We really appreciated the warm welcome from the existing members of the group today and the detailed deliberations on wind propulsion and the many other areas of development in this subject area. We look forward to continuing working with our esteemed colleagues at DG Move and industry representatives. 

28 September – IMO-UNEP-Norway Zero-and Low-Emission Innovation Forum
The Secretary General of IWSA will be one of the sub-group moderators at the The IMO-UNEP-Norway Zero-and Low-Emission Innovation Forum on Tuesday, 28 September – this forum is being held from 27-29 September 2021 at 1200–1500 (BST) with a focus on addressing specific needs of developing countries, especially Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).  More details here

27 September – Wind Propulsion Innovation Awards – Short List Judges Announced
With just over a week to go before the deadline for submissions, we are delighted to announce the judges that will be selecting the shortlist for voting for the Wind Propulsion Innovation Awards. 

Aleksander Askeland – CSO, Yara Marine Technologies
Andrew Stephens – Executive Director, The Sustainable Shipping Initiative
Bertrand Charrier – Founder, BC Consulting
Bud Darr – Executive Vice President, Maritime Policy and Government Affairs, MSC Group
Carleen Lyden Walker – Executive Director, NAMEPA
Craig Eason – Owner, Fathom World
Daniel Barcarolo – Senior Engineer, Sustainability at American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)
David Bolduc – Executive Director, Green Marine | Alliance verte
David Patraiko – Director of Projects, The Nautical Institute
Dmitriy Ponkratov – Technical Director, Royal Institution of Naval Architects.
Edwin Pang – Chair, Royal Institution of Naval Architects IMO Committee
Frank Berrens – Director, Berrens Maritime
Frédéric Moncany de Saint-Aignan – Président du Cluster Maritime Français
Giovanni Bordogna & Nico van der Kolk – CEO/CTO, Blue Wasp Marine
Grant Gassner – Director of Integrated Systems and Solutions, Wärtsilä Marine Power
Haris Zografakis – Partner, Stephenson Harwood LLP
Helene Smidt – Lead, Maritime Industry Decarbonisation Council, Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Association (RBSA)
IMO Maritime Technical Co-operation Center for Caribbean (MTCC-Caribbean)
John Buckingham – Chief Mechanical Engineer, BMT
Lars Robert Pederson – Deputy Secretary General, BIMCO
Octavi Sadó Garriga – Ship Design Manager, Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping
Peter Rae – President, World Wind Energy Association
Ruan Wei, Professor – Head, IMO Maritime Technical Co-operation Center for Asia (MTCC-Asia)
Sara Skold – Project Manager, Clean Shipping Index
Sofia & Conor Fürstenberg Stott – Partners, Fürstenberg Maritime Advisory
Vasileios Kosmas, Dr – Senior Researcher, Hapag-Lloyd Center for Shipping and Global Logistics (CSGL) of Kühne Logistics University (KLU)

See Judges Full Profiles 

21 September – Wind Propulsion Innovation Awards 2021 – Call for Nominations 

The Wind Propulsion Innovation Awards 2021 call for nominations is now open and will be open until 1700 (CET) 04 October. The shortlist will be assembled by 20+ judges from across the industry and then these will go for an open public vote from mid-October until 05 Nov, with the virtual awards ceremony taking place in the second week of November. The awards are an opportunity to showcase some of the innovations, projects and research that is underway in wind propulsion, but also sends a positive message of real change and decarbonisation solutions alongside the activities underway at COP26. Further information on making a Nomination 

The Awards are sponsored by: Wärtsilä, Yara Marine Technologies, Thordon Bearings, The Royal Institution of Naval Architects, Kühne Logistics University (KLU) Hapag-Lloyd Center for Shipping and Global Logistics (CSGL), Norsepower, Green Marine, Dealfeng New Energy Technology and eConowind.

14 September – WASP project – Webinar on Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion Engineering – featuring in particular the eConowind ventifoil systems on the Boomsma Shipping vessel the MV Frisian Sea but also expanded out to other WASP project installations by Joshua Lacey all moderated by Craig Eason from Fathom World

13 SeptemberPress Release: AYRO raises €10.5 million capital funding for wingsail development
The new funding round was completed by investments from Ocean Zero, Bpifrance and Mer Invest to support the development of its Oceanwings wind propulsion hybrid system for maritime transport. Read more…

13 September – Press Release: ABS , Wärtsilä and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (HZS) have partnered up to develop a flexible, future-proof, and modular LNG Carrier (LNGC) vessel concept that features a significant wind propulsion element. Read more…

20-22 October – 16th GreenPort Cruise & Congress, Port of Piraeus, Greece. – (IWSA official supporting organisation) – The conference provides over 180 decision makers from the port community – port authorities, terminal operators, shipping lines, logistics operators – with a meeting place to both learn about and discuss the latest in sustainable development and environmental practice to enable them to effectively implement the changes needed to reduce their carbon footprint and to be more sensitive to environmental considerations. Themes include the EU’s new climate plan,  financial and technical challenges to onshore power supply, ports getting ahead for new fuels, collaborative community projects, sustainable transport and logistics in the hinterland connections of the port, eco-cruise ships and sustainable cruise initiatives in Europe.

IWSA members receive a 10% discount – booking online use the code: IWSA21

CMA Shipping Expo and Conference – (IWSA official supporting organisation) – returning to Connecticut next month for its 36th edition – October 13-15. The 3-day conference – brought to you by Connecticut Maritime Association; organised by Informa Markets and as part of North American Shipping Week – CMA Shipping takes place from 13-15 October at the Hilton Stamford Connecticut, USA, and includes specialist insights from 50+ shipping experts in a powerful conference agenda; Commodore Gala Dinner; exceptional networking and a free-to-attend exhibition with over 80 booths. 
Press release: https://informaconnect.com/cma-shipping/cma-shipping-returns-in-person-to-connecticut/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6841697482368417792

10 September – Article: ESG and carbon pricing to propel surge in wind power – Charterers’ ESG strategies, the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme, likely carbon pricing, and IMO initiatives are all factors likely to underpin a take-up in wind-related technology options in shipping. Read more…

Wind for Goods – Upcoming event in Nantes, France on 21 September involving the IWSA Europe Atlantic hub, Association Wind Ship. The first national event in France dedicated to wind-powered maritime transport. The objective is to discover concrete solutions and innovations that contribute to the decarbonisation of goods transport, and to discuss the key issues of this sector which works to protect our maritime environment. Check Website for more details

06 September – Press Release: Windship Technology secures coveted Approval in Principle for innovative triple-wing design from DNV.  This is the result of years of design iteration work combined with the use of cutting-edge CFD to refine the wings before extensive wind tunnel testing and analysis by independent third parties. Each wing has trailing edge flaps that allow for optimisation of the motive force produced for a variety of incident wind angles and, crucially, allow the rigs to produce the highest power density of any current wind-powered solution. With three rigs set, they can produce all the power required to sail an 80,000 DWT ship on the main long transoceanic routes.  Read more…

04 September – Article: The latest Marine Propulsion & Auxiliary Machinery magazine features four pages on wind propulsion developments (pages 13-17), with specific focus on the tanker and bulker sectors, alongside other articles covering various secondary renewables and alternative fuels such as ammonia, hydrogen etc. Read more…

01 September – Press Release: Contract signed between AYRO and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Caen in Normandy, concessionaire of the Port of Caen-Ouistreham, to locate its production facility for manufacturing its Oceanwings. The production of the four Oceanwings 363 for the Canopée project will start December 2021 and the delivery is expected end 2022. Canopée is a 121 metre long ro-ro vessel, designed by naval architect VPLP design and currently being built at the Neptune Marine shipyard. Chartered by Alizée, a joint-venture between Jifmar and Zephyr & Borée, she will be transporting components of the Ariane 6 rocket, Ariane Group,  from Europe to French Guyana. Read more…

August 2021

30 August – Welcome to our New IWSA Members
A warm welcome to all of our new members, upgraded members and registered supporters. We look forward to working with you all to deliver a wind propulsion future for the shipping sector.


D-ICE Engineering (France) – upgrade to Full Member


Grain de Sail (France) – Associate Member


Vesconite Bearing (South Africa) – Associate Member


Zéphyr & Borée (France) – upgrade to Associate Member


Azolla (Singapore) – Associate Member


Beyond the Sea (France) – Registered Supporter


Prospect Law (UK) – Registered Supporter

Satchel Douglas, Naval Architect (USA) – Registered Supporter

28 August – Event Announcement – Wind Propulsion Open Mic – 07 September [1300-1400 CEST], A Free Online event hosted by Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) in association with IWSA. An opportunity to grill a panel of leading experts in wind propulsion and feed into the debate for the full Wind Propulsion Conference.

Details & Register for Open Mic Here
Details & Register for Full Wind Propulsion Conference Here

28 August – Press Release: Sustainable shipping initiative EcoClipper announces first local agent for the Asia-Pacific region
Read more…

24 AugustPress release: MOL and Tata Steel partner up to develop greener bulker featuring Wind Challenger Sail system  Read more…

19 August – Article: It’s time to harness wind power for commercial shipping – Asia Pacific Boating – The trend towards decarbonisation is now causing serious industry players to join the push to emissions-free sailing  Read more…

16 August – Farewell to Wind Propulsion Visionary, Mr. Aloys Wobben, founder of Enercon and father of the E-ship 1
Very sad to hear about the passing of Mr. Aloys Wobben, 69, after a long illness. His vision for a new build wind-hybrid cargo vessel with four Enercon-designed Flettner rotors was launched in 2010 and has been in operation since saving c.20% of fuel. His vision was encapsulated in the choice of name, E-ship 1, the first of a fleet of vessels that unfortunately wasn’t replicated at the time, but which helped inspire a new industry and all of us at IWSA. We hope that we will be able to deliver on a wind powered fleet during this decade of wind propulsion, and that will form a small part of Mr Wobben’s legacy. Our condolences to the Wobben family and to the Enercon team and E-ship 1 crew.

The WASP project – Next webinar on Engineering is now open for registration – to be held on Friday 03 September 1100-1230 CEST – If you are interested in the how, what and where, nuts and bolts issues of wind-assist installations, then this will be the webinar for you.  Webpage
The current line-up for the panel includes Johan Boomsma, CEO of Boomsma Shipping (“the shipowner”), Frank Nieuwenhuis, CEO of eConowind (“the technology provider”) and Professor Joshua Lacey , KU Leuven Faculty of Engineering Technology – Group T Leuven Campus, Department of Mechanical Engineering (“the third-party expert”)
The webinar will be hosted by the WASP project lead, Netherlands Maritime Technology and the webinar will be moderated by Craig Eason, editor of Fathom World. 

Register Here

12 August: Transforming the Air, Sea, and Land Freight Transport Sector – SWC50 Webinar (1500 CEST)
IWSA has been invited to speak at this webinar hosted by our friends at the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) as part of their year long SWC50 – The Century of Solar virtual celebration.  SWC50 celebrates what has been achieved over the 50 years since this first international conference, and a discussion of what must happen over the next 50 years, with particular emphasis on the next 10 years. Through the conference, booklet, museum and special SWC50 webinars, ISES aims to provide resources to help everyone accelerate the transformation to a 100% renewable energy world.

This webinar will welcome the following presentations:
– Paulette Middleton (ISES/ASES): SWC50 Introducer
– Hannah Murdock (REN21): Moderator + Global Status of Renewables in Transport
– Tony Wood (Grattan Institute): Towards net zero: Practical policies to reduce road transport emissions
– Remo Schäppi (ETH Zürich): Solar Fuel Production From Ambient Air in a Modular Solar Concentrator-Reactor System
– Gavin Allwright (International Windship Association, IWSA): Wind Powering Decarbonisation in Shipping

The webinar will last 90 minutes including a dedicated Q/A session for the audience to ask questions.   Register Here

08 August: Short Youtube film: Is Wind Power the Future of Freight Shipping? from Just Have a Think

The film covers some of the key aspects of wind propulsion and three of the seven technology groups that are being developed today. As the film makers state: “Wind power for boats has mostly been confined to niche sports and leisure activities these days, but new technologies are bringing a fresh perspective to the role that the wind can play in reducing costs and greenhouse gas emissions in the global freight shipping industry. That industry currently accounts for nearly 3% of all GHG emissions, so freight operators are on a quest to reach net zero by 2050. Here’s three of the most promising wind power options that could help them get there.”

04 August – Article: Wind assisted ship propulsion has returned in ship design – Learn a little more about the E-ship 1, in this interview with the Ship’s master Antje-Friederike Herbst, one of very few female captains in the German merchant fleet. 

Since commissioning, E-Ship 1 has travelled over 500,000 nm with the rotors reducing annual fuel consumption by 20% (annual mean) compared to similar-size conventionally powered vessels (920t of MGO at 13kn). This prototype vessel wasn’t replicated for a number of reasons (none of which were related to performance), and won the IWSA 2016 award Wind Propulsion in Commercial Shipping – Innovation Award. E-ship 1 continues to ply the waves, but now she is joined by nine other rotor installed vessels from tankers to bulkers, ferries to general cargo and many more in the pipeline.  Read more…

03 August – Webinar scheduled for 08 September, “Going beyond Compliance: Harnessing the wind to meet IMO’s EEXI regulations and increasing demand for higher ESG standards”. IWSA SG will be on the panel along with Tuomas Riski, Norsepower CEO,  Kris Fumberger, Sustainability Manager RightShip, Aude Leblanc Technology Leader, sustainable shipping Bureau Veritas & moderated by Alisdair Pettigrew, Director of BLUE Communications

The panel will explore potential market consolidation during the transition to net zero and the commercial and regulatory drivers impacting decision making for developing resilient fleets. With this combination of factors, shipping faces an unprecedented challenge to decarbonise that will require the sector to invest in new initiatives driven by push and pull effects. What are the near-term challenges for ship owners and operators in meeting imminent EEXI and CII requirements and how can these be overcome? How can ship owner and charterers collaborate better to reach favourable commercial agreements whilst working towards environmental goals? How can the industry future-proof against ESG demands and higher fuel costs?

Register here

02 August – Release of the Wind Propulsion Strategy Workshop Report – 40+ leading experts and industry stakeholders came together to assess the progress made over the last five years of wind propulsion developments for large scale commercial vessels. A key focus on barriers and challenges identified in the 2016 EU commissioned Wind Propulsion study and the work that still needs to be done in the technical, business and policy areas: Download (7-page pdf) Wind Propulsion Strategy Workshop – Summary Report – June 2021 

01 August: IWSA Newsletter – April 2021 Edition is now available for direct Download along with back issues.

April 2021 Newsletter 
October 2020 Newsletter
April 2020 Newsletter
December 2019 Newsletter
July 2019 Newsletter
February 2019 Newsletter
October 2018 Newsletter

If you would like to sign up for future issues, you can do that from our campaign site “Decade of Wind Propulsion”  Alternatively, send a request directly to secretary@wind-ship.org

July 2021

31 July: Announcement: European Sustainable Shipping Forum (ESSF): We are pleased to announce that the EU Commission, DG-Move has confirmed our place on the ship energy efficiency sub group of the European Sustainable Shipping Forum (ESSF). We also expect to be engaging with the sustainable alternative power for shipping sub-group going forward too. We are looking forward to discussing wind propulsion issues more closely with our European shipping colleagues.

The ESSF provides an important platform for structural dialogue, exchange of technical knowledge, cooperation and coordination between the Commission, Member States’ authorities and maritime transport stakeholders on issues pertaining to the sustainability and the competitiveness of EU maritime transport. 

27 July – Announcement: Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) is teaming up on an R&D project with Oshima Shipbuilding & Iknow Machinery to research and develop mounting sails on ships’ cargo handling cranes and similar equipment to boost propulsion force. Read more…

20 July: Announcement: Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE) has signed a long-term consecutive voyage charter with JFE Steel Corporation regarding the upcoming new built capesize bulk carrier (210,000 DWT) fueled by liquified natural gas (LNG).

The construction of our first LNG-fueled bulk carrier will be ordered to NIHON SHIPYARD CO.,LTD. and the vessel is scheduled to be delivered in 1st half of 2024.

The vessel is called a “next-generation vessel” coping with environmental issues. It will reduce the emissions of CO2, by 25 to 30 %, SOx by almost 100%, and NOx by around 85% with the use of LNG instead of conventional heavy fuel oil. Moreover, the vessel reaches more 40% of CO₂ emission reduction in the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) which fully aligns with the reduction target of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). “K” LINE will also install “Seawing”, an automated kite system utilizing wind power supplied by Airseas, to increase the effects of decarbonization.

Read entire Press Release (external link)

16 July: WASP project announcements: The WASP project has just released it’s latest newsletter which features news about the Reederei Rörd Braren installation of the EcoFlettner rotorsail, an extended interview with Boomsma Shipping on their eConowind Ventifoil Flatrack installation and preparations for the Tharsis Sea-River Shipping installation in a few weeks times, along with much more.  Download

WASP has also released a ‘Save-the-Day’ announcement for their next webinar on Engineering – to be held on Friday 03 September 1100-1230 CEST – If you are interested in the how, what and where, nuts and bolts issues of wind-assist installations, then this will be the webinar for you.
The current line-up for the panel includes Johan Boomsma, CEO of Boomsma Shipping (“the shipowner”), Frank Nieuwenhuis, CEO of eConowind (“the technology provider”) and Professor Joshua Lacey , KU Leuven Faculty of Engineering Technology – Group T Leuven Campus, Department of Mechanical Engineering (“the third-party expert”)
The webinar will be hosted by the WASP project lead, Netherlands Maritime Technology and the webinar will be moderated by Craig Eason, editor of Fathom World. 
The first webinar which gives a project overview and update on the progress is also now available to Watch Online

16 July: Announcement: Trans Oceanic Wind Transport (TOWT) has secured a large number of transport orders (announced in the hundreds of millions of Euro) and their four proposed vessels will operating as early as the end of 2022. The annual transport capacity will be in the region of 25,000 tonnes and this announcement outlines the routes on which the vessels will be operating and of course TOWT will have plans to grow further.  Read More..

15 July: Wind Propulsion Conference 2021 – Register Now – 15-16 September (Hybrid event, London UK)
We are looking forward to welcoming you to  the Wind Propulsion 2021 conference, to be held at the Royal Institution of Naval Architects UK headquarters in association with IWSA.

The is a great line up of papers and for more information on the speakers, and how to register please go to: https://www.rina.org.uk/Wind_Propulsion_2021.html

14 July: FuelEU Maritime Proposal published – we welcome the acknowledgement and inclusion of wind propulsion as a significant contributor to shipping propulsion. We will be analysing the full impact of all of the “Fit for 55” proposals on wind propulsion uptake both at a wind-assist and primary wind levels and we will be working with DG Move and the EU Commission to ensure that these proposals are strengthened and made fit for the purpose for the full decarbonisation of shipping as quickly as possible. https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/fueleu_maritime_-_green_european_maritime_space.pdf

12 July: Neoline announces that Longchamp, the luxury brand, has reserved space on their new primary wind vessels. Under the agreement, Longchamp has committed to shipping at least 50% of its annual container volume between France and the United States when the first ship begins sailing in the first half of 2024. Read more…

11-13 July, Confex Conference 2021 – IMO MTCC Asia team hosted this event to explore the developments in maritime technology, especially in China and other regions of Asia. Presentation on wind propulsion on Sunday delivered up to date information to stakeholders in a region which is increasingly engaging with wind propulsion technology and the OEMs developing them.

09 July: Wind Propulsion Documentary: Engineering the Future: Maritime is now available Youtube – this was originally only available on HBO/Curiosity Stream. If you want to get some insights into wind propulsion projects today, it’s potential to decarbonise shipping and some insights into a different propulsion paradigm for shipping, then come along for the ride. Watch here

06 July – Listening to the Wind Interview: Windship Technology
Talking with Graham Harvey, CEO of Windship Technology takes us through their wind propulsion system and the zero-emissions concept that they are developing. We also discuss how the shipping decarbonisation pathway is progressing and continued barriers to the uptake of wind propulsion technologies.  Watch Here

05 July: The Practical Application of Wind Technology on Tankers, part of the Tanker Shipping & Trade Webinar Week 1000 – 1045 CEST – with experts from IWSA, MARIN (Maritime Research Institute Netherlands), Wärtsilä  and ANEMOI were are on the panel. Watch Now

01 July : Announcement: bound4blue completes a round of finance: Raising an additional €5 million in financing to lead the implementation of wind-assisted propulsion technology for the maritime transport industry. Read More

June 2021

30 June: Socio-Economic Impacts of Wind Propulsion Technologies – The EU funded WASP (Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion) Project has released a new policy brief: Socio-Economic Impacts of Wind Propulsion Technologies  Read Here

30 June: Announcement:  Cape Horn Engineering Ltd. and EcoClipper have partnered up to push the Ecoclipper 500 vessel design work to the next level. Extensive CFD simulations for 4 different candidate hulls were performed and compared at different sailing conditions to aid the design process. Read More

29 June: Announcement: Alfa Laval and Wallenius Marine will form a 50/50 joint venture – AlfaWall Oceanbird – that will supply innovative wind propulsion solutions for cargo vessels and other ship types. The plan is to have the first Oceanbird system onboard a vessel within five years. Read More

29 June: Robban Assafina article (Arabic) – ”Driving the Decade of Wind Propulsion.. International Windship Association Spearheads a Coordinated Initiative to Accelerate Shipping Decarbonisation” published on page 35 in the online bimonthly Middle Eastern Maritime Magazine. Read Here

28 June – Listening to the Wind Interview: Chantiers de l’Atlantique
Talking with Nicolas Abiven, Senior Project Engineer at the St. Nazaire based shipyard, Chantiers de l’Atlantique. Discussing their new prototype testing rig, the Solid Sail system and Silenseas cruise design series and more…Watch Here

28 June: Opportunity to Travel the High Seas – pre-book your passage on TOWT‘s future sailing cargo vessels, carrying over 1,000 tonnes of cargo, looked after by a professional crew of ten or so, also offering cabins for passengers. You can now find out about their proposed routes, and pre-book your passage by filling in this simple and non-binding questionnaire, alternatively if you want to move cargo with them, drop them a line. 


25 June: New International Windship Association Linkedin page launchedCheck it out and follow!

25 June: Article: Ocean Challenge: Powering the shipping world by wind (p8-11)
A four-page round up of wind propulsion, what it delivers, current projects and installations and where the wind propulsion voyage is going “Once wind is brought to the centre of decarbonisation efforts for shipping, there is a real possibility of a transformation in the industry”, Gavin Allwright, Secretary General, IWSA   Read Here 

24 June: New York Times Magazine Article: Can Massive Cargo Ships Use Wind to Go Green?
A long read article tracking a couple of IWSA members projects Anemoi & Blue Planet Shipping along with BAR Technology (project tie up with Yara Marine Technologies). Also gives a bit of background to the early days of the Association Read Here

21 June: WiSP2 Project Launched to further improve performance predications, rules and regulations for wind propulsion on commercial ships. Led by MARIN & ABS, WiSP2 will focus on making evaluations within EEDI and EEXI, but also from real operational conditions. The aim is to prove the level of fuel savings ship owners can expect, enabling them to make informed investment decisions, whilst also keeping the upcoming CII requirements in mind. At the same time, compliance to rules and regulations is addressed, specifically on manoeuvring.  Press Release

17 June: EU SEArica (Seas, Rivers, Islands & Coastal Areas) Webinar – Maritime Transport: Going with the Wind – Exploring the potential of Wind Propulsion to contribute to the Green Deal 

Presentations and Panel discussion with IWSA SG, Association Windship, ABS, Airseas, Neoline, Scandlines,  Hapag-Lloyd Center for Shipping and Global Logistics (CSGL) of Kühne Logistics University and T&E  Agenda

Opened by MEP Jan Christoph OETJEN, SEArica Vice-Chair in charge of Maritime Transport. With the participation of MEP Catherine CHABAUD, SEArica Vice-Chair in charge of Climate & Governance, MEP Deirdre CLUNE, SEArica Member and MEP Petros KOKKALIS, SEArica Vice-Chair in charge of Blue Economy, Maritime Industries and Ports.
Download Recording

New Members: Very pleased to welcome four new IWSA members from China, Australia, US and Norway.


Dealfeng New Energy Technology (China) – Full Member


Wind Support NYC (US) – Full Member


Yara Marine Technologies (Norway) – Full Member – Download: Press Release


Seven Ocean Research (Australia) – Registered Supporter

Very happy to let everyone know that the postponed Wind Propulsion 2021 conference being hosted by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects in association with International Windship Association will now be taking place (as a hybrid event at the heart of London International Shipping Week) on 15 Sep – 16 Sep – more details on the revised line up and registration coming soon – SAVE THE DAYs – https://londoninternationalshippingweek.com/event/wind-propulsion-2021/


10 June – New Contract Signed: Schram Shipping has partnered with eConowind to retrofit two 16m tall wind-assist VentiFoil units on its 5,097 dwt general cargo vessel Anna, built in 2008. Installation scheduled by end 2021. Read More…

09 June – Listening to the Wind Interview – Greg Johnston, Founder and CEO of Advance Wing Systems in Australia. Talking from their testing site in South Africa, Greg takes us through their designs, the wingsail developments and next steps of bringing AWS systems into commercial shipping. Watch Here…


08 June – IWSA presentation giving an overview of wind propulsion developments and technical details of various WPT to the Canadian Institute of Marine Engineering (CIMarE)


08 June – New Design: Namura Shipbuilding in Japan (in a joint project with operator NS United Kaiun) has announced that it is developed a concept for wind-assisted propulsion to be installed on bulk carriers. Read More…

07 June – New Installation: Bound4blue unveiled the first retrofit installation of their 12m eSAIL system on the 40m, 539 GT Spanish flagged fishing vessel Balueiro Segundo. Read More…

04 June – Wind Propulsion Strategy Workshop – a big thank you to all of the 40+ participants that joined us for the workshop to return to the EU Wind Propulsion Market report released in early 2017.  We had stakeholders from across the industry from Shipowners, R&D & Testing centres, Naval Architects, EU projects, OEMs and Academia etc.
In due course we will publish the findings on continued barriers and the pathway forward to tackle those issues.   

03 June – Conference: IWSA Secretary General joined the “Leadership in Green Shipping” panel at Green Marine’s Greentech 2021 conference.  

02 June – New Design Announcement: Michelin announced the development of the inflatable WISAMO (WIng SAil MObility) which is projected to improve ship fuel efficiency by up to 20%.
Read More…. (English)     Read More… (French)

01 June – New Build Project: China Navigation aims to sign a newbuild contract for the first sail-assist pilot vessel as part of Project Cerulean in the next few weeks, seeking to build the first low-carbon, low-cost sail-assisted inter-island cargo vessel to serve communities in the Pacific that lack cargo handling infrastructure for delivery mid 2022.  Read More…

May 2021

31 May – Natural Propulsion Seminar – We would like to thank MARIN again for hosting another excellent Natural Propulsion Seminar and we look forward to when the presentations will all be available in the NPS archive.

31 May – IWSA Annual General Meeting – Thank you to all of the members that could join us and for very interesting discussions. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing Executive Committee, especially non-returning EC member Nicolas Abiven, Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
The incoming Executive Committee will be:
Charlie Bogue (Wind + Wing Technologies)
Tuomas Riski (Norsepower)
Siegfried Manzel (ConZES Zero Emission Solutions representing: Energy Ship, Autares & Modern Merchant Sailing Vessel)
Stephanie Lesage (Airseas)
James Rhodes (Magnuss)
Nick Contopolous (Anemoi Marine Technologies)
Lise Detrimont (Association Wind Ship)

Secretary General: Gavin Allwright

26 May – New contract signed: TR Lady Shipping, a portfolio company of Tufton Investment Management, signed agreement to install three ANEMOI Marine Technologies rotor sails on an 82,000DWT Kamsarmax bulker scheduled for mid-2022.  Read more…

23 May – Listening to the Wind Interview:  David O’Neill, the Director of Falls Of Clyde International about bringing the ship back from Hawaii to the Clyde and their vision for how they will put her back to work. Technology, Education, Training, Trading & Inspiration at COP26. Enjoy! Watch here…

18 May – Motorship Propulsion & Future Fuels Live – Decarbonising Shipping by Wind-Assisted Propulsion (in association with IWSA)

Wind-assisted Propulsion has gained its place as a true contender and contributor in achieving the IMO 2050 goal for decarbonisation of the shipping sector. Join and learn from our live panel of industry experts how your business could benefit from this solution.

High Profile Technical Panel – The panel will be headed up by Lars Robert Pedersen – Deputy Secretary General of BIMCO, which represents 60% of the world’s tonnage. This second session of
PFF live comes with the full support of the International Wind Ship Association. Gavin Allwright, the secretary general will be giving the welcome introduction, before a high profile panel of technical experts spanning across operators, naval architects, manufacturers and classification societies will be discussing their current wind projects and the technical requirements of integrating these systems aboard vessels.    Register Here

17 May – A new wind-assisted containership design, the Trade Wings 2,500 has received an AiP from Bureau Veritas Group. – The 2,500 TEU vessel, which has been designed jointly by VPLP design, Alwena Shipping, SDARI and AYRO, features six Oceanwings wingsails that are installed on a vertical sliding mechanism so they can be retracted partially while the vessel is in port, thus minimising the impact on cargo operations. The wingsails alone will deliver c.20% of the total propulsive energy for the vessel. Read more…

17 May – New ‘Listening to the Wind’ Interview with a sit down with Rogier Eggers, Senior Project Manager and specialist in wind propulsion at MARIN (Maritime Research Institute Netherlands). We discuss some of the remaining technical challenges around wind propulsion development, their Phase II WiSP project opportunity and the upcoming Natural Propulsion Seminar on the 31st May as part of Blueweek. www.blueforum.org

15 May – Where is the Tesla from the Seas – Article (Dutch) – Wind propulsion, modular apporaches & more Read here…

14 May – New build 325,000 dwt VLOC bulker with fiver rotor sails launched: the MV Sea Zhoushan, owned by Pan Ocean Ship Management and to be chartered by Brazilian mining company Vale, one of the WiSP project partners was unveiled with five tiltable rotors supplied by Norsepower, with an estimate of yearly average savings of 8% – congratulations to all involved!  Read more…

13 May – BlueWeek 2021 will now be a free online event again this year. 31 May – 04 June. This MARIN hosted event is fully supported by IWSA, as we have done over the last seven years and we will hold three key events during this week. On 31st May AM, we will hold our AGM (open to all IWSA members) but that is then followed by the excellent Natural Propulsion Seminar, with nine main speakers covering everything from Rotor sail performance calculations to Suction wing development – for anyone interested in the engineering that goes behind wind propulsion and other developments such as harnessing wave energy onboard, this is an unmissable event. We will then hold an invitation only Wind Propulsion Strategy workshop on 4th June, but in between there is a lot more going on – zero-emissions shipping, renewable ocean energy & blue life
Please note that each day requires a separate registration www.blueforum.org

11 May – Clarins Becomes the First Cosmetics Company to Commit to Move Frieght with Neoline – In line with the roadmap driving its CSR strategy and aimed at reducing its carbon footprint, CLARINS has just signed a letter of commitment to maritime transport with NEOLINE, a new French shipowner pioneering the energy transition and developing a project of environmentally-friendly sailing ships. Read More…

10 May – Fast Company Magazine (World Changing Ideas) – How the shipping industry can go from global polluter to carbon neutral – From hydrogen to sails to green ammonia, the shipping industry is rethinking how it moves the massive amount of goods that undergird the global economy.
Read here…

05 May – Leaders Magazine Interview  – IWSA SG Gavin Allwright was recently interviewed by Dr Magdy Sadek, editor of www.eblueeconomy.com for the Saudi Arabian magazine ‘Leaders’, and was was asked to reflect on the place that wind propulsion can have for stakeholders in the region and specifically in relation to the KSA Vision 2030. There is great potential benefit for Saudi fleet operators and owners, even with a fleet that is relatively new and best in class when it comes to efficiency and regulatory compliance. The deployment of wind propulsion systems can go even further and make those vessels leading statements of a ‘beyond compliance’ approach, locking in lower fuel costs and emissions and helping to take a leading role in the decarbonisation of shipping. There is nothing more visual as a statement of the intent to decarbonise a vessel or a fleet than wind-assist installations and as a zero-emissions energy source with modern wind propulsion technologies increasingly available to harness that, wind propulsion will certainly be a leading technology in the decarbonisation toolbox going forward. Read the Interview

05 May  – Reduced Harbour Fees for Wind Propulsion Vessels – Port of Vancouver
Update from Port of Vancouver that they have recently added wind-assist technologies to their EcoAction Program. They now specifically call out “Cleaner fuels and technologies” and have examples of natural gas, bio/renewable fuels, wind assist, solar as being able to apply for a discount under the EcoAction Program. They would love to be welcoming more wind-assisted, innovative vessels at the Port of Vancouver. For more information on the EcoAction program, the website is the best starting place, with the criteria pdf outlining the opportunity to reduce Harbour fees up to 47% : https://www.portvancouver.com/environmental-protection-at-the-port-of-vancouver/climate-action-at-the-port-of-vancouver/ecoaction-program/

Port of Vancouver is also a founding member of the newly launched Vancouver Maritime Centre for Climate and they have been supportive of IWSA in the past, hosting one of our events during our US tour back in 2019.

03 May – Inclusion of Wind Propulsion in European Parliament resolution of 27 April 2021 on technical and operational measures for more efficient and cleaner maritime transport (2019/2193(INI))

IWSA is very pleased to see the specific inclusion and calls for support of direct wind propulsion in the European Parliament resolution of 27 April 2021 on technical and operational measures for more efficient and cleaner maritime transport.

Section 21 in particular: The European Parliament…Calls on the Commission, shipowners and ship-operators to ensure the implementation of all available operational and technical measures to achieve energy efficiency, in particular speed optimisation, including slow steaming where appropriate, innovation in hydrodynamics optimisation of navigable routes, the introduction of new propulsion methods, such as wind-assist technologies, vessel optimisation and better optimisation within the maritime logistics chain.

There is increased awareness among EU stakeholders and policy makers of the significance and immediate emissions benefits to be gained from wind propulsion. We are of course awaiting the Commissions undertakings and what commitments will be made as part of the delayed FuelEU Maritime directive. Read Full Text

02 May – March Edition of Drydocks Magazine – 4-page Article on wind Propulsion – Transition is in the WindRead here..

01 May – IWSA Newsletter – April 2021 Edition
The latest April newsletter from International Windship Association has been released and already circulates to over 1200 industry stakeholders, researchers, policy makers and media.
If you would like to sign up, you can do that from our campaign site “Decade of Wind Propulsion”

Alternatively, send me a request directly to secretary@ud09_302.ud09.udmedia.de

April 2021

29 April – North Sea Region Adds a New Wind-Assist Rotor Installed Vessel to the Fleet.
During the docking of the MS Annika Braren, part of the Rörd Braren fleet, at the SEC shipyard in Leer, Germany, a wind rotor from the Leer based Eco-Flettner company was successfully installed on the one year old vessel. The installation is part of the EU WASP (Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion) project, which is funded itself by the Interreg North Sea Region programme, part of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Read Press Release 

28 April – ‘Listening to the Wind’ Interview with Kim Diederichsen, CEO of Anemoi Marine Technologies, he unpacks the companies recent developments and future plans alongside discussing the latest shipping decarbonisation developments and where the wind propulsion market is heading. Watch Video Here

27 April – Green Ship of the Future – Wind Propulsion Members Meeting – Thank you to Frederik and the GSOTF team and members for inviting IWSA and some of our members to present and discuss technical details of their wind propulsion systems, challenges and barriers and the decarbonisation and financial benefits.

24 April – Test Installation – NAOS Ship and Boat Design designed Wepas (Wind Energy Propulsion Aid for Ships) system has been installed for testing aboard the new Cyprus flagged passenger vessel, DNV Bridge Read more…

Accelerating decarbonisation in shipping th

23 April – “Accelerating Decarbonisation in Shipping: A No Regrets Approach Using Wind Power”, This short technical policy paper from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (UK) is calling for the UK Government to support the development of a demonstration ship using retro-fitted sails to help ship owners and users understand the business case for how wind could be used as primary propulsion for cargo vessels. The Institution recently supported a feasibility study for a ship retro-fitted with sails which was carried out by Smart Green Shipping 

Accelerating Decarbonisation In Shipping: A No Regrets Approach Using Wind Power (imeche.org)

21 April – Norsepower Oy Ltd., has signed a framework agreement with Offshore Technology Development (OTD), Keppel Offshore & Marine’s technology arm specialising in the provision of critical equipment which supports the offshore oil and gas, marine, and offshore wind industries.

Under the agreement, OTD can assist to provide the initial survey, design and engineering works, and organise the equipment installation for Norsepower’s Rotor Sails. Norsepower will deliver project management, delivery, and installation supervision to support smooth installation, servicing and warranty support of Rotor Sails. Read more…

21 April – Submissions to IMO MEPC76 regarding Wind Propulsion & EEDI
Publicly available at IMO docs, or download submission papers below.

Comoros and RINA (MEPC 76/7/31 & MEPC Inf.30) Prediction and verification of CO2 emission savings with wind propulsion systems – derived from extensive work done on the ABS & MARIN led WiSP JIP project, including input from IWSA & members. Download – MEPC 76-7-31 Download MEPC 76-INF.30 ANNEX Doc

China, Germany & Japan (MEPC 76/6/2) Draft amendments to MEPC.1Circ.815 for verification of the wind propulsion system.Download PDF

Finland & Germany (MEPC 76/6/6) Additional draft amendments to MEPC.1Circ.815 for verification of the wind propulsion systems Download PDF

Comoros and RINA (MEPC76/6/10) Comments on documents MEPC 76/6/2 and MEPC 76/6/6 proposing draft amendments to MEPC.1/Circ.815 for verification of the wind propulsion system. Download PDF

France (MEPC76/6/8) Draft amendments to MEPC.1/Circ.815 additional to the amendments proposed by MEPC 76/6/2, concerning the calculation of the wind propulsion system force matrix and the extension of the scope of that circular to the EEXI. Download PDF

20 April: Hoisting the sail, a supply chain podcast – IWSA SG talks wind propulsion, decarbonisation, the development of the association and more. Listen here

Upcoming Webinars: 05 & 06 May

06 May – THE UPTAKE OF WIND PROPULSION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE MARITIME INDUSTRY – WASP project Webinar – Wind ship propulsion technologies might reduce fuel consumption and decrease emissions in the maritime sector. Learn more about that promising technology in this webinar. Kuhne Logistics University & Hapag-Lloyd Center for Shipping & Global Logistics.
Video: The future of shipping? – Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion Technologies – YouTube
6 May, 2021, 1300-1400 CET (English language)
Register: The uptake of Wind Propulsion Technologies in the maritime industry
The webinar is supported by the Interreg North Sea Region Programme

Western Maritime Forum

05 May – Webinar – WESTERN MARITIME FORUM ONLINE:⭒THE AMERICAS⭒
Online Event, 9:00 AM EST (UTC -4), May 5 – 6 | 2021 – IWSA presentation on 05 May Western Maritime Forum

Upcoming Webinars: 27 April


27 April – 2nd LEC Sustainable Shipping Technologies Forum in Hamburg
April 27 – 28, 2021 – IWSA presentation 1530-1700 CET – Re-Wind not Rewind: Wind Propulsion & Decarbonisation. www.shippingforum.at

27 April – 2nd Decarbonizing Shipping Virtual Forum 1200-1600 CET
(IWSA Official Supporting Organisation)
1350-1410 – Presentation by IWSA SG: Winds of Change: Wind Propulsion Driving the Decarbonisation Agenda        Register for Free Here

19 April – Announcement – Yara Marine Technologies announces their tie up with BAR Technologies to supply Cargill-backed WindWings sails. Congratulations to all involved and another step forward for wind propulsion systems wider adoption in the market. Read more

18 April – Welcome New Members

Delighted to welcome these new members from Norway, Greece and Denmark to IWSA, welcome aboard and looking forward to working together to develop a fleet of the future powered by the wind!


Norwegian Ship Design (Norway) – Full Member


Blue Planet Shipping Ltd (Greece) – Associate Member


Green Transition Denmark (Denmark) – Registered Supporter

15 April – Engineering the Future – Documentary – Wind Propulsion in Shipping features heavily in one of the final 3 episodes of excellent series ‘Engineering the Future’ being released on 15th April!
Curiosity Stream is a popular documentary channel, which has a short free trial option or a low cost monthly fee. I understand the series will also be distributed on HBO later in the month.

Series Trailer: https://curiositystream.com/video/3453 
Quite a few projects and technologies already installed on vessels are highlighted in this program, showing what is being done today. We hope that the next series will have room for the many exciting technologies and projects coming through the pipeline too – Decarbonising shipping with wind? Yes we can!

14 April: The U.S. Can Help Eliminate Fossil Fuels from the Shipping Industry by 2035, This new report from Ocean Conservancy & Pacific Environment details how the Biden-Harris administration can address climate change and environmental injustices by completely eliminating emissions from the shipping industry in the next fifteen years. The report has a very central position for wind propulsion in the decarbonisation process.
The U.S. Can Help Eliminate Fossil Fuels from the Shipping Industry by 2035, New Report

13 April – Listening to the Wind – Interview – with the NAYAM Wings team, Co-founders Amnon Asscher and Saar Carmeli, to discuss their innovative wind propulsion technology, their plans for the future and the wider market, barriers and drivers for wind propulsion systems.

Watch on Youtube Here

Upcoming Event – 22 April – Wind Propulsion Webinar & Workshop

If you like to get an update on a key wind propulsion project, join 22 April AM webinar of the EU Interreg North Sea Region Programme funded WASP project led by Netherlands Maritime Technology, installing, monitoring and validating 5 retrofitted systems. Also input into the development of a clear, joint strategy on wind propulsion performance, rules and regulations through the workshop to be held 22 April PM – WiSP joint industry project headed by MARIN (Maritime Research Institute Netherlands) and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)
Registration for WASP webinar: Here
Registration for WiSP workshop: Here

01 April – Listening to the Wind – Interview with Frank Nieuwenhuis, CEO of eConowind, getting an update on the recent installations of their Ventifoil system and other latest developments but also discussing how to bring innovation into the market, the struggles and the successes.

Watch on Youtube Here

01 April – Webinar – MARE FORUM and BUREAU VERITAS will host the fifth online round table of the series “Designing zero-carbon ships of the future and what to do until they are ready

Gavin Allwright, IWSA SG joins a distinguished panel of experts in a roundtable exchange of  thoughts, ideas, and visions and try to give the answer to the following questions.

Panel includes:
Alessio La Rosa – Global Head of Freight at COFCO International
Spyridon Tarasis – General Manager Olympic Vision Maritime Company Inc &Vice Chairman of Intercargo.
Carmelo Cartalemi – Global Sales at WinGD
Björn van de Weerdhof – Manager Business and Fleet Development at Anthony Veder Group, and Board Member of Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF)
Elizabeth Lindstad – Chief Scientist, SINTEF Ocean
Nick Brown – Communications Director, Bureau Veritas, Marine and Offshore [MODERATOR]

Agenda

  • Who has a clear view of the design of the ship of the future? (low emissions, greater efficiency, speed, digitalization, materials, engines, etc..)
  • Who will design the ship of the future?
  • What insights do we have into the commercial viability of future ship designs?
  • Who will take the investment risk on these technologies? What is the role of the capital provider and charterer?
  • Is LNG just a transition fuel? Hydrogen, ammonia, batteries, and nuclear?
  • Is there enough infrastructure in ports worldwide to facilitate new fuels?
  • Will we have new trades, requiring new ship types – e.g. hydrogen carriers and ammonia product tankers?
  • Agenda for action – next steps. What can we do now to help accelerate the availability of zero-carbon ships while at the same time reducing shipping’s footprint: slow steaming, retrofits, ESG reporting, and verification?

When: Thursday, April 1, 2021 · 10:00:00 AM · London

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Language: English

REGISTER FREE – limited space

March 2021

31 March – Announcement – Congratulations to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. on signing an MOU to develop a wind-powered bulker with Enviva, a global renewable energy company specializing in sustainable wood bioenergy. This will be the the second planned deployment of the Wind Challenger hard sail system.
Read More…

30-31 March – ship.energy 2021 conference – Overview of wind propulsion developments presentation in Session 6, day two
To register for free visit ship.energy summit

26 March AYRO receives the Innovation Ocean Trophy 2020-2021
The Innovation Ocean Trophy team and Banque Populaire Grand Ouest gave recognition of the Oceanwings® capacity to contribute to the decarbonisation of the shipping industry.
In partnership with Campus mondial de la mer, le Cluster Maritime Français, l’IFREMER, RespectOcean, Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique, Pôle Mer Méditerranée et le marin.

AYRO Press Release BPGO Innovation Ocean Trophy
AYRO Communiqué presse Trophee Innovation Ocean BPGO

25 March – New Design: Congratulations to Norwegian Ship Design for being chosen to design the world’s first hydrogen powered cargo ship, with a significant wind propulsion component.
Read more…

24 March – Open Letter Release – A Level Playing Field Needed in Shipping Decarbonisation 

Over 90 maritime corporations, shipowners, designers and technology providers all involved with wind propulsion have come together to release this open letter, calling for all maritime industry decision-makers and the entire shipping community to fully assess and utilise all available power solutions that deliver the necessary deep, swift cuts in carbon emissions over the next decade commensurate with responding to the climate emergency. To that end, readily available and proven wind propulsion solutions must be integrated at the very heart of decarbonisation deliberations, which is currently not the case.

This is a critical time for all political, financial and corporate leaders to take decarbonisation seriously and the letter calls for establishing a multi-stakeholder International Working Group to evaluate and quantify wind propulsion’s potential, to launch a comprehensive Strategic Review of shipping industry decarbonisation efforts in the context of the climate emergency. It asks to ensure a ‘level playing field’ is created and maintained for all power systems and to do more and go beyond the current narrow fuel-centric approach.

Chinese version – IWSA Open Letter
Dutch version – IWSA Open Letter
English version – IWSA Open Letter
French version – IWSA Open Letter
German version – IWSA Open Letter
Italian version – IWSA Open Letter
Japanese version – IWSA Open Letter
Korean version – IWSA Open Letter
Spanish version – IWSA Open Letter

23 March – Webinar: Maximizing the power of wind-assisted propulsion – Lean Marine, Smart Green Shipping, Association Wind Ship joined forces to discuss the methods and technologies required for maximizing the power of wind-assisted propulsion during a virtual industry seminar. Speakers were: Florent Violain, President of Association Wind Ship, Di Gilpin, Founder and CEO of Smart Green Shipping and Sarah Zitouni, Lean Marine Regional Sales Manager This seminar was moderated by the Secretary-General of the International Windship Association, Gavin Allwright.

23 March – Rotor Sail AiP Awarded – Congratulations to Korea’s DSME (Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., ltd.) on being awarded an AiP from DNV for their new rotor sail system. Read more

20 March – Listening to the Wind – Interview with Simon Schofield, the CTO of BAR Technologies, the spin off from Ben Ainslie Racing and got the lowdown on their WindWings system, their design approach and collaborations going forward.
Watch on Youtube Here

18 March – Podcast – Aronnax: Wallenius Wilhelmsen Orcelle Wind: Listen to Roger Strevens, vice president of Global Sustainability at Wallenius Wilhelmsen talking about the Orcelle Wind vessel project and Morten Bo Christiansen, head of Decarbonisation at AP Moller Maersk talking about the small feeder container vessel to be installed with dual fuel engines with the intention to run on green, carbon neutral methanol. Aronnax Podcast: Greenship Boost

16 March – BV Wind-assist Guidelines Update Released – Very pleased to see the updated Bureau Veritas Wind Propulsion System guidelines being released publicly today. This is another important step forward in ensuring wind propulsion systems are viable, credible and robust when delivered. Download: Modern Rules for Wind Propulsion Systems

15 March – Article on ‘Could wind propulsion fund the full decarbonisation of shipping?”
Thought piece by IWSA SG on how the rapid scaling of wind propulsion across the fleet in the next 10 years would effectively not only pay for itself, but could go a very long way to releasing the funds required to go beyond IMO 2050 and even deliver full decarbonisation for the fleet.
https://splash247.com/could-wind-propulsion-fund-the-full-decarbonisation-of-shipping/

12 March – Marshall Islands & Solomon Islands Propose Carbon Levy to IMO – the proposal indicates a $100 per tonne emissions levy ($300+ per tonne of fuel) Marshall and Solomon Islands Demand IMO Set $100/Ton Levy on Emissions 

11 March – Listening to the Wind Interview with Makoto Yamaguchi, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines General Manager heading up the Windhunter project, developing a prototype vessel, propelled by Windchallenger rigid sails, that will harvest excess wind energy onboard to convert to zero-emissions fuel.  Watch on Youtube Here

10 March – EU Interreg SAIL Project Website – We finally concluded the handover of the legacy website for the EU Interreg project SAIL which concluded in 2015 and focused on the analysis of various designs including the Dynarig Ecoliner design and rotor ship designs. We felt that keeping the website active is important and it has valuable reports from an engineering, performance comparison, business case and economic perspective for wind propulsion systems. While wind propulsion has developed significantly from this period, there are interesting perspectives and valid conclusions that help form the basis for further developments. https://nsrsail.eu/

09 March – New Virtual Showroon for WindWingsDeltamarin, Cargill and BAR Technologies have just launched a ‘virtual showroom’ which demonstrates the principles of how their WindWings wind propulsion system works. View Here

New Members – We are very happy to welcome the following new members to the association, and we are looking forward to further developing the wind propulsion sector together.


Stephenson Harwood (UK & International) – Associate Member


VPLP (France) – Associate Member


SICK AG (Germany) – Registered Supporter


Sailink (Switzerland) – Registered Supporter

06 March – Radio France International – Interviews on Sail Cargo and Wind Propulsion in general (French) L’actualité de l’environnement – C’est pas du vent (rfi.fr)

01 March – Press Release from Windship Technology: True Zero Emission ship design powered by impressive new rig technology – confirms the findings from the Wolfson Unit of the University of Southampton following a detailed study into its triple wing rig  True Zero Emission ship design powered by impressive new rig technology – (fathom.world)


05 March – ‘Listening to the Wind’ Interview with HHx Blue financial experts, Prof. Orestis Schinas and Olaf Danckwerts walk us through the key aspects of ship financing and innovative approaches for facilitating the installation and uptake of wind propulsion systems in the fleet.

February 2021

26 February – Announcement – The engineering office Detlev Löll and TECHNOLOG services introduce a new container ship concept. The project consortium has designed a sailing ship that can carry 500 containers across the world’s oceans with zero emissions.

23 February – ‘Listening to the Wind’ Interview with Diane Gilpin, CEO of Smart Green Shipping
Watch on IWSA Youtube Channel Now

22 February – Bunkerspot Outlook 2021 Survey – looking back at the tough conditions of 2020, current developments and outlook for 2021 and beyond. Features input from three IWSA members: Diane Gilpin (Smart Green Shipping),  Ludovic Gerard (AYRO) and Gavin Allwright (IWSA Secretary General) Read online: 2021-Vision.pdf (bunkerspot.com)

19 February – Education Program: The IWSA Secretary General and numerous wind propulsion experts delivered the first set of wind propulsion lectures and seminars as part of the Enkhuisen Nautical College WASP curricullum – good luck for the following classes and to all of the students taking this course.

18 February – Wind Propulsion Tech Update Webinar – NCE Maritime Cluster – The efficiency of wind-assisted ship propulsion can help reducing fuel consumption and emissions from maritime operations. Several different sail technologies are now reaching the market. In this Tech Update, NCE Maritime CleanTech invites all cluster participants to meet leading experts within the wind assisted propulsion technologies.  Technology status and important insights on wind-assisted propulsion, from rotor sails to kites. IWSA members: Airseas, SINTEF both presented along with Wallenius Wilhelmsen on the ‘Orcelle Wind’ vessel design from Wallenius Marine.

18 February – Bunkerspot Article – Time to Set Sail – pg 62-65 – outlining pathways to decarbonisation with wind propulsion integrated and central to delivering quick, deep and ultimately lower cost move towards carbon neutral shipping, and ultimately zero-emissions.
Read online: Page 62 – Bunkerspot  February/March 2021

17 February – Announcement – Congratulations to Wallenius Marine and Wallenius Wilhelmsen on the announcement of the plan to build a wind-powered Pure Car and Truck Carrier that is based on the Oceanbird design and named the ‘Orcelle Wind’, with the vessel design scheduled to be ready for contracting with a shipyard by mid-2022, and a finished vessel by 2025. Read more: Wallenius Wilhelmsen to build wind-powered RoRo ship by 2025

17 February – Wind Propulsion Forum 2021 – Royal Institution of Naval Architects in association with IWSA. We would like to thank the RINA team, John Buckingham (BMT) and Jan Otto de Kat (ABS) for chairing the two sessions and to all of the panelists. We look forward to the Wind Propulsion Conference 2021, now unfortunately postponed until September 2021.

16 February – Announcement: Later this year Chantiers de l’Atlantique will install a 38m tall mast for testing their Solid Sail system followed in 2022 by a fullsized 95m rig with 1,200 m² Solid Sail. The shipyard says the mast will be one of the highest composite masts and five times more durable than conventional sails. Read more: Solid Sail and Mast to be Installed for Validation in France (maritime-executive.com)

  

16 February – Campaign Launch –  International Windship Association and it’s 130+ members have declared the period 2021-2030 as the “Decade of Wind Propulsion”, a decade of delivering wind propulsion installations, optimising the technology solutions and helping to facilitate a quicker, deeper and ultimately cheaper transition to a fully decarbonised fleet.

Campaign Website: www.decadeofwindpropulsion.org

Press Release (PDF): Press Release – Driving the Decade of Wind Propulsion 

16 February – Green4Sea Awards Shortlist Announced
The Green4Sea Awards 2021 voting has come around again (IWSA won the initiative of the Year 2019) and I am very pleased to see a number of our IWSA members, projects and associates have been nominated. Please visit the site and make your vote count: https://events.safety4sea.com/2021-green4sea-virtual-awards/ (vote by pressing the ‘Start’ button on each category.

Shortlisted are:
1. Sustainability Award: ABS, for taking action to help operators establish a pathway for sustainability
2. Initiative Award: two organisations we have links with: Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion (WASP) Project, for exploring how wind solutions can be more commercially attractive and also NAMEPA, for its CSR/ESG Maritime Sustainability Program
3. Dry Bulk Operator Award – Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), for investing in energy saving technologies and adapting to green practices

15 February – Announcement: AYRO has been awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) from DNV GL for its Oceanwings 3.6.3.

Press Release (English)
Press Release (French)

15 February – ‘Listening to the Wind’ Interview with Frank Berrens, CEO of Berrens Maritime
Watch on IWSA Youtube Channel Now

11 February – Announcement – Michelin chooses the French start-up NEOLINE, offering carbon-free shipping innovating services.
The tire maker has signed aq letter of commitment for maritime transport with Neoline to transport pneumatic tires on the Halifax (Canada) / Saint-Nazaire – Montoir de Bretagne (France) line, as soon as the first cargo sailing ship was commissioned.

Press Release: Press Release Michelin Neoline

IWSA Newsletters – Q4 2020 Newsletter Now Available for Download
IWSA October 2020 Newsletter – SUMMARY
IWSA April 2020 Newsletter – SUMMARY
IWSA December 2019 Newsletter – SUMMARY

08 February – New Member
Very pleased to welcome SINTEF Ocean as a new associate member of IWSA. We look forward to working together to develop a credible, viable wind propulsion sector going forward.


SINTEF Ocean (Norway) – Associate Member

Press Release – SINTEF Ocean Steers into the Wind – 08 February 2021

08 February – ‘Listening to the Wind’ Interview with Charlie Bogue, Director of Market Development & Strategy for Wind + Wing Technologies, the wind propulsion technology developer based in Napa, California.
Watch on IWSA Youtube Channel Now

07 February – Announcement
Another key partnership announced in the wind propulsion sector with Windship Technology Ltd. unveiling it’s ‘True Zero Emission‘ design solution and announcing an investment partnership with DNV, who will be verifying the design of their ‘Tesla of the Seas’ solution for shipping which incorporates their 48m stowable wind propulsion rigs, large solar arrays, carbon capture, optimised hull shapes and specialised weather routing software into the overall design package.
Read more…

Announcement: 17 February – Wind Propulsion Forum 2021
The Royal Institution of Naval Architects is committed to the promotion of Wind Propulsion. The current use of alternative fuels and renewable energy sources within the shipping industry is still relatively scarce, so we are proud to present Wind Propulsion Forum in cooperation with the International Windship Association. This will serve as a great start to the other RINA alternative propulsion events such as the popular Wind Propulsion 2021 Conference.

More details and free registration available now here

09 February – IMO Symposium on Alternative Low-carbon and Zero-carbon Fuels
International Windship Association will be presenting on the first day, 9th February at 12:40 (GMT), in Block 2: Building alternative fuel-ready ships. State-of-play in shipyards, ship designers and technology providers. Title: Uptake and Market Development of Wind Propulsion Technologies: A Hybrid Solution.

Non-IMO representatives can follow the symposium but it will be a live broadcast rather than interactive (Q&A reserved for IMO delegates)

The full agenda and registration details here

January 2021

29 January – Upcoming Event – Chantiers de l’Atlantique Press Conference on 16 Feb 1500 CET

An exclusive presentation of the last progresses of Solid Sail technology, the sail that anticipates the navigation of tomorrow. This e-event will be live broadcasted from the MSC Virtuosa cruise ship on February 16th, 2021 at 3:00 pm CET.

It’s a unique opportunity to review the most mature wind propulsion project for large modern ships, its prospects and the regional industrial network that arose to support its development.

On this occasion, the Presidents of the Regional Councils of Bretagne and Pays de la Loire, the industrial partners of the project and Chantiers de l’Atlantique’s Managing Director will be gathered on scene, for a special reveal!

French and English – Register Here

27 January – Announcement: Oldendorff Carriers has signed a Joint Development Project (JDP) with Anemoi Marine Technologies, Lloyd’s Register and Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute  to develop a wind-assisted propulsion solution for Dry Bulk Carriers by installing a series of Anemoi rotor sails on a 207,000 dwt Newcastlemax bulk carrier. The project is scheduled for completion in 2022. Read more…

26 January – Welcome to New IWSA Members.

We are very pleased to welcome a second batch of new members in January and we are looking forward to having a very productive year in the wind propulsion technology segment and working together to deliver that wind driven future – welcome aboard!


Southern Spars (UK) – Full Member

Download Press ReleaseSouthern Spars joins IWSA – Press release 26 Jan2021


SubSeaSail (USA) – Registered Supporter

Nithin Padmanabhan, Cochin University of Science and Technology (India) – Registered Supporter
Christiann Debeukelaer, University of Melbourne  (Australia) – Registered Supporter


26 January – Article – Interesting article covering the purchase of the Maersk Pelican by Buana Lintas Lautan, the Indonesian Oil and Gas company which according to it’s website now owns and operates 35 tankers with a total capacity of 2,303,131 dwt
Very pleased to hear from Tommy Thomassen, Chief Technical Officer at Maersk Tankers that; “This vessel was special to us……while the vessel is sold with the technology installed onboard, we will continue to work with relevant parties to enable the use of wind propulsion technology onboard product tankers……”  The rotor installations are from Norsepower
Read more…

25 January – Press Release – Congratulations to Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering (KSOE) for the awarding of an Approval in Principle (AIP) by DNV GL for a wing-sail auxiliary propulsion system for ships – the result of a joint research project between KSOE and SK Shipping.
Read more…

21 January  – Listening to the Wind – IWSA Weekly Interview Series – Blue Wasp Marine
Talking with Giovanni Bordogna, Co-founder of Blue Wasp Marine, an engineering consultancy specialized in wind-assisted ship propulsion. We discuss the challenges and development of WASP solutions and the Blue Wasp work of supporting shipping industry stakeholders in taking advantage of the unique economic and environmental benefits that wind assist delivers.
Watch Here

21 January – Installation – Boomsma Shipping has installed two eConowind Flatrack VentiFoils on the Dutch flagged MV Frisian Sea, a 6477dwt general cargo vessel and has already made its maiden voyage to Vasteras, Sweden with the VentiFoils in operation, during which eConowind has been conducting the start-up tests. The coming month will be used to optimize the system and operations and train the crew. The installation was made as part of the ongoing EU Interreg WASP project. Read more…

20 January – Announcement – BAR Technology has launched a 3 year project to develop low-carbon concept designs for the maritime industry beginning in  June 2021, The CHEK project will be carried out by BAR alongside a consortium of partners such as universities, vessel operators and charterers, as well marine technology companies and designers. The project is part of the EU Horizon 2020 programme. CHEK’s focus will be on delivering a Kamsarmax bulker and a Meraviglia class cruise ship and BAR Technologies will focus on wind propulsion technologies, developing a wing sail array for the Kamsarmax bulker – which will also feature automated optimised routing, waste heat recovery and hull form optimisation.   Read more…

20 January – Global Maritime Week 2021 – Presentation & Panel Discussion – IWSA Secretary General presented on the key decarbonisation issues facing the industry, the hybrid Wind + Vessel and Operational Optimisation+ Eco-fuels approach. A constructive discussion regarding the varying pathways and the need to adopt a collaborative approach to avoid stranded assets etc.

19-20 January – Education Program: Seminar – IWSA Secretary General led a two-day sustainability in shipping seminar at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmo, Sweden. Always a please to work with such a great group of students from 10 developing countries with enthusiasm and a keen understanding of the issues facing the industry.

14 January – Welcome to New IWSA Members.

We are very pleased to welcome three new members to the International Windship Association and look forward to working closely together to develop a wind propulsion powered fleet in the future.

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) – Associate Member

Buro Blue/Green (Netherlands) – Associate Member

Green Marine Concepts BV (Netherlands) – Registered Supporter

14 January – IMO MTCC Asia – Virtual Regional Ship Energy Efficiency Technology Conference: Capacity Building for Climate Change Mitigation in the Maritime Shipping Industry Seminar, Shanghai, China 
IWSA Secretary General will present an update on wind propulsion developments and discuss the progress and momentum building in the sector.

IWSA Members Meeting – Thursday 14 January, 1000-1200 CET – Update of all things IWSA and Wind Propulsion developments over the last three months. An opportunity for IWSA members, associates and registered supporters to get the latest market information and to discuss the key issues of the day.

12 January – Listening to the Wind – IWSA Weekly Interview Series – FinOcean
Talking with Konstantinos Fakiolas, CEO of FinOcean, a shipping industry consulting specialists focusing on new build and retrofit projects with more than 20 years international shipping & shipbuilding partnership networking experience. FinOcean specialists have been working with Wind Propulsion technologies since 2014.
Watch Here

11 January – Announcement: SC Connector installation has been completed and the Sea-Cargo vessel vessel with her newly installed 35m tiltable Norsepower rotor sails will be docking at Matrans Rotterdam Terminal in the Eemhaven on Tuesday 12 Jan. The ship will then depart the Port of Rotterdam on Wednesday evening at 1800 hours.
Read More…

11 January – Article – Driven by a Steady Wind –  A Motorships article providing a detailed insight into some of the wind propulsion trends, challenges and other developments in the sector.
Read More…

11 January – WASP Project Seminar: Wind Assisted Propulsion Challenges and Perspectives – Recording of a recent WASP project seminar hosted by KU Leuven ,Dept of Mechanical Engineering in Belgium is now available online – Prof. Orestis Schinas (HHx Blue) talks about the financial challenges and IWSA SG presents on overview of the WASP project and the wind propulsion technical portfolio.
Watch Here

05 January – Listening to the Wind – Interview with the Micronesian Center for Sustainable Transport
Andrew Irvin, MCST Project Officer for the Cerulean Project sits down with the International Windship Association to discuss the project, which represents a joint effort by USP and Swire Shipping Co. to devise a suitable route for a new class of low-carbon shipping vessel to sustainably provide shipping services to underserved outer island communities between Fiji and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Part of the IWSA Weekly Interview Series.  Watch Here

01 January 2021 – Happy New Year
The International Windship Association, Secretary General and Executive Committee wish all of our members, collaborating organisations, the wind propulsion network and the shipping industry as a whole, a very prosperous and healthy New Year!

May the wind be in your sails, the sun be on your back and a wind propelled fleet

be in your future!