News & Media
Decade of Wind Propulsion
International Windship Association and it’s 150+ 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. Press Release – Driving the Decade of Wind Propulsion
Open Letter – A Level Playing Field Needed in Shipping Decarbonisation
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August 2023
02 August – New Members – We are delighted to announce the latest set of our new members, welcome aboard and we look forward to working closely with you all to further build a wind-powered future for the shipping industry. We have a few additional new members that we will be announcing in due course.
Knud E Hansen (Denmark) – Full Member
MIDES Design (Slovenia) – Full Member
Rondal (Netherlands) – Full Member
ABL Group (UK/International) – Associate Member
Africa Express Line (UK) – Associate Member
Boomsma Shipping (Netherlands) – Associate Member
Langulan Bearings (Spain) – Associate Member
RSC Bio Solutions LLC (USA) – Associate Member
TU Delft (Netherlands) – Upgraded to Associate Member
Island Ventures Ltd. / Clean Voyages Inc. (USA) – Registered Supporter
Spaera (UK) – Registered Supporter
Individual Registered Supporters: Dr. Vusal Jivishov (Azerbaijan), Eric Plumlee (USA), Pablo Albers (Finland), Deniz Tugay (UK)
July 2023
27 July – Installation Announcement – The Ariane group vessel, the Canopee outfitted out by Jifmar Guyane and operated by its joint venture Alizés with Zéphyr & Borée on behalf of Ariane group has had the four AYRO Oceanwing sails installed in the port of Caen-Ouistreham, Northern France. The vessel will now undertake a series of sea trials/tests after which it will resume transporting the Ariane 6 rocket parts to the South America launch site. Read more…
25 July – SAVE THE DATE – Match Making Event – IWSA will be holding an online Wind Propulsion Match Making event on the 27 September 1400-1700+ CET. This will be the first in a series of events with different themes over the next 12 months. This first one will be focused on Wind Propulsion Technology providers and project developers along with shipowners and operators, cargo owners, charterers and the finance sector. Etc.
The three hour event will feature the following:
10 min opening – IWSA keynote speech
20 min panel discussion – panellist will discuss wind propulsion development, the market and installation/build experiences.
10 min Q&A
20 min networking/additional booth browsing – discuss issues further.
90 mins+ – meetings and speed match-making
10 mins – closing
NOTE: Virtual booths and materials will be open prior to the event and will remain open afterwards.
Cost per technology provider/project coordinator participant will be EUR200 Reserve your space before 14th August. The shipowners, charters, cargo owners and finance industry representatives will be welcomed without charge. Registration details to follow.
Contact: Cath, Blue-Green Marketing hello@blue-greenmarketing.com CC: admin@wind-ship.org / secretary@wind-ship.org
25 July – IWSA Event – will be holding a number of events in collaboration with the Royal Institution of Naval Architects. The first event will be an invitation only working group /roundtable looking on Thursday 07 September with the aim to update our barriers/drivers and perception understanding as a follow up to the 2021 working group (Report Link). Then during London International Shipping Week, we will hold an in-person forum on Thursday 14 September at the RINA HQ
Wind Propulsion: Barriers, Drivers and Perceptions Forum
Location: RINA HQ – in-person open event
Date: Thursday 14 September, 1430-1630+
Limited tickets available (free of charge)
Agenda
Presentation of IWSA 2023 Survey results (20 mins)
Panel discussion – Barriers & Drivers Roundtable (30 mins)
Interactive Feedback/Work groups – expanding on results, issues raised etc. (60 mins)
Close/Summary (10 mins)
Followed by networking drinks
Register here
23 July – International Marine Purchasing Association (IMPA) will hold a series of events in the coming year, including events at LISW203, London on 12-13 September and in Singapore in November – IWSA is an official supporting organisation for these events and IWSA members will have free entry to these events. Register here
20 July – New Build Update – Great to see the first 81m, 1,100dwt TOWT sail cargo vessel touching water for the first time, quite a moment! Congratulations to all involved and we are all looking forward to seeing the primary wind ship fully outfitted in the coming months and entering service in 2024. Watch Video here
10 July – Wind-Ready Fleet Delivery – Congratulations to the Capital Ship Management Corp. team on the delivery of their sixth newly built wind-assist ready vessel M/T ‘Akrisios’, these six 50,000 dwt Chemical/Product MR tankers have received the wind-assist ready notations from American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)
09 July – Upcoming Event – Wed, 20 September, 09:00-10:00 BST there will be a free to attend webinar hosted by Riviera Maritime Media in association with Vaisala, titled “Wind and weather sensing technology is revolutionising wind-assisted shipping”. The webinar features a panel of maritime professionals expert in this area discussing unlocking the full potential of wind-assisted propulsion through precise and reliable real-time wind monitoring. Recent technological advances in marine-proof ultrasonic wind sensors and lidar-based remote wind measurement offer ship operators accurate data on wind speed, direction and environmental factors. These measurements enable operators to fine-tune sails and wind propulsion systems, resulting in peak performance, lower fuel consumption and reduced carbon emissions. Read more…
07 July – IMO Reviewed Decarbonisation Strategy
As the dust settles a bit on the new decarbonisation strategy announced by IMO, the industry is faced with some significant challenges to realise the 30% reduction target by 2030. But we should take these targets (indicative checkpoints) as a foundation not a ceiling.
As we know a cocktail of wind propulsion ( both retrofit and new build), voyage optimisation and vessel efficiency measures can deliver significantly on these targets and also these solutions pay for themselves, while more costly fuel options will start adding something to the mix by the end of the decade.
We will need robust technical (global fuel/ energy standard) and economic measures to deliver this at scale, but those levers will take some years to come into force. In the meantime EU and other regional and national measures will take up the slack to a degree.
We need to protect and support first movers and early adopters among industry stakeholders and avoid the mistakes of the past (ballet water, scrubbers) made when goal posts are moved. We have the goal posts now, next step is we need the net of regulation, MBMs and finance to rapidly scale.
IMO Strategy – Read here
06 July – Investment & Employment Announcement – 200 direct jobs are to be created in Nantes through the Computed Wing Sail investment into a production line located in a 10,000m2 building in Nantes-Saint Nazaire Port and ramping up production of their rigid wing sails to 50 units per year
We are seeing growing investment going into wind propulsion across the board and this announcement is another great step forward for CWS and Nantes Saint-Nazaire Développement and the region. Note: not sure why this article has a wind turbine in place of a wind ship? Read more…
06 July – Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd – Road Map to Net Zero 2050
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. has released a detailed roadmap to 2050 net zero-emissions as #MEPC80 debates levels of ambition and interim targets in London today.
As part of their vision they will have at least 80 ships outfitted with wind-assist systems in their fleet by 2035. Read more…
06 July – Contract Announcement – Congratulations to Iino Kaiun Kaisha Ltd and Norsepower on this contract announcement for a 24m rotor installation on the 84,000 dwt Yodohime coal carrier to be installed in Q3 2024. Read more…
06 July – Sydney Morning Herald Article – Trade winds: Shipping is turning back to sails after a century
Wind propulsion makes a splash down under with this article in the The Sydney Morning Herald, here is a thought to chew on: “We are going to be the first global industry that goes from being fully decarbonised to fully carbonised, only to decarbonise again.”
Let’s hope that the ambitions and targets finalised at IMO this week make the quote a reality far sooner rather than much later. Read more…
05 July – New Build Cruise Ship Design – Ponant’s new zero-emission cruise ship with solid sails is due to launch by 2030. Ponant’s Swap2Zero project will harness wind power and reduce reliance on fossil fuels Read more…
04 July – Installation Announcement – Congratulations to Amasus shipping and the bound4blue team on this latest installation of two of their suction sail eSAILs system on the Dutch flagged 2,850dwt general cargo vessel, Eems Traveller. Read more…
03 July – Article – Washington Post – Global shipping industry faces head winds over going green
Great to see wind propulsion making it to the pages of the The Washington Post today, a solid, deliverable and scalable solution amongst all of the commentary on what is being discussed at IMO this week.
It is a shame that an iconic wind powered vessel couldn’t be the lead photo, but “the protest” always grabs the headlines in front of “the practical”.
We are however ready to go! A clear lead from MEPC80 on ambitious near-term goals, i.e. 2030, will super charge the delivery of the solutions even before any technical or market based measure comes into force in the late 2020s.
The market and the financiers need clarity, an ambitious but attainable target and robust facilitation and enforcement. A level playing field in place that promotes and protects first movers and early adopters.
A perfect storm that has a near-term, absolute zero-emissions solution or is it simply a wind up? Read more…
02 July – Article in Bunkerspot magazine! – Can we predict the Wind?
Dr. James Mason – While wind propulsion offers an immediate solution to reduce CO2 emissions, one challenge lies in predicting the energy available from the wind. In this article, he delves into the findings of his recent paper, which explores methods to minimize uncertainty in wind propulsion calculations.
These findings have been incorporated into Smart Green Shipping’s cutting-edge FastRoute software.
02 July – Message to IMO from Team Malizia – Boris Herrmann and Cornelius Eich, gave an important message to the delegations at the International Maritime Organization. High ambition on 2030 and 2050 targets for decarbonisation can be delivered if we move quickly, harness the wind and scale that dramatically over the coming years. The OCEAN RACE is over, but our RACE FOR THE CLIMATE continues. In the coming days, the International Maritime Organization will upgrade its Climate Targets for the shipping industry.
This is a challenge and an opportunity at the same time:
On the one hand the challenge will be faced by the #shippingindustry to speed up their individual sustainability and emission strategies, and on the other hand there is a great opportunity for wind shipping, sailing technology, wind propulsion to help to tackle the challenges ahead. Wind propulsion must be equally recognized as an energy source and a fuel commodity!
WIND is abundantly available directly at the point of use. It’s #climatepositive and of course: free of charge! Together with other members of the International Windship Association, we are strongly advocating ambitious targets that go hand in hand with #innovation and wider usage of advanced sailing technology. We don’t want to simply go back to the century of the wooden tall ships, but rather Back-to-the-Future with state of the art rigging and sailing systems applicable for commercial shipping vessels.
01 July – New Wind Propulsion Department Announced – In another clear market/industry signal that the momentum behind wind propulsion is growing, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. has announced the creation of a new department as of 01 July 2023 – the department is named the PBCF and Wind Propulsion Department with the aim of expanding it’s area to wind propulsion equipment and devices in addition to continuing existing operations with energy saving devices such as the Propeller Boss Cap Fin (PBCF) System.
This move by the company is in response to growing demands in the market for these devices. The contact email for further details: moltech-pbcf@molgroup.com
Message from Mr Gen Wada, General Manager, PBCF & Wind Propulsion Dept: As of today, July 1st, MOL Techno-Trade, Ltd. has established the PBCF & Wind Propulsion Department. Our focus extends to MOL Group’s proprietary Wind Challenger, as well as the evaluation and application of various existing wind propulsion systems within the industry. We aim to identify the optimal device or combination for each ship type and route by actually integrating these systems into MOL Group’s ships. Similar to our past approach with technologies like the PBCF, we don’t intend to limit superior tech to MOL alone. Our goal is to contribute back to the maritime industry by sharing our wind propulsion expertise and the Wind Challenger technology with others. This mission is at the heart of our newly formed department. We appreciate your continued support. Read more…
June 2023
30 June – Announcement – MOL dedicated Wind Propulsion Department Launched – In another clear market/industry signal that the momentum behind wind propulsion is growing, MOL Techno Trade Ltd., part of the MOL Group, has announced the creation of a new department as of 01 July 2023 – the department is named the “PBCF & Wind Propulsion Department” with the aim of expanding it’s area of wind propulsion equipment and devices in addition to continuing existing operations with energy saving devices such as the Propeller Boss Cap Fin (PBCF) System.
This move by the company is in response to growing demands in the market for these devices. The contact email for further details: moltech-pbcf@molgroup.com
30 June – EU Funded WASP project completion – The WASP project has drawn to a close today after 3.5 years, it has concluded with five vessels retrofitted with three different wind propulsion technologies tested, third-party validations conducted to verify actual fuel savings achieved and a raft of other key deliverables concerning performance indicators, standard sea trials, decision making tools, policy interventions and raising the profile of wind assist solutions etc. Read more…
The WASP project has also published a ‘Best Practice Manual’ tracking some of the decision making processes, shipowners & technology providers feedback, project learnings etc. Download page
29 June – Press release – Aurelia Design has announced a cooperation with Carisbrooke Shipping on route optimization and GHG reduction for the 11,183 dwt Vectis Pride. With options for both sail systems and rotors. Press Release Aurelia – Carisebrooke
27 June – Low/Zero Emission Vessels & Wind Propulsion Survey – Reminder that we have this key survey underway – it takes 10 minutes to complete and will give us further insights into the industry and policy makers understanding of and engagement with wind propulsion systems and projects. Survey: Low/Zero Emission Vessels & Wind Propulsion
Thank you for your support in completing the survey and we really appreciate your help in passing on the survey details to your network!!!
26 June – Shipping Decarbonisation Report: A new CE Delft report concludes that it is technically possible to reduce shipping emissions by 28-47% by 2030, relative to a 2008 baseline, amounting to c. 175–350 Mt CO2e on a Well-to-Wake basis per year. About half of the emission reductions would be delivered from lower speeds and other operational measures, a quarter from wind propulsion primarily along with other technical measures and the rest through zero/near-zero GHG fuels. The report also concludes that these measures would only increase shipping costs by 6-14% on average, relative to a business-as-usual approach. Read more…
26 June – ‘Wind Ship – The Future’ Poster Contest – Winners Announced
Congratulations to all of the young artists that submitted c.100 inspirational entries and the over 2,000 votes received. We would also like to thank the expert jury that gave so much of their valuable time too.
Read more…
Download – Wind Ship – The Future – Poster Contest – Winners Album
Visit online gallery: 2-5 Years Old // 6-11 Years Old // 12-17 Years Old
25 June – Happy International Day of the Seafarer– This year’s day of the seafarer comes just ahead of the key meetings to be held at International Maritime Organization, with ISWG 15 starting tomorrow feeding into MEPC80 the following week. As an industry we will debate the long-term decarbonisation strategy and measures to reach the agreed targets. However, it is seafarers that will be tasked with implementing the changes, adapting to the new ways of operating and dealing with the new fuels and technologies. They have always been key workers, but their role in coming years will be absolutely critical.
I think we can all agree with this: If we; Respect, Recruit, Re-train, Retain and adequately Remunerate our seafarers, then our industry has a bright future!
IMO Secretary General message – VIDEO
23 June – ‘Listening to the Wind’ Interview- We are delighted to restart our ‘Listening to the Wind’ interview series by sitting down with Chris Knox, CEO of Insensys Ltd, the global leaders in fibre optic strain measurement systems. A very interesting interview outlining the company and what it does, but also following their journey from working in the yachting sector through to their major involvement with wind turbines and now returning to commercial wind propulsion. Watch here
23 June – New Build Primary Wind Vessel Progress – TOWT is making progress with the hull construction in Vietnam. The hull is almost ready to be moved to France for outfitting. Watch Video
22 June – Marketing Contract Announcement – Congratulations to Marubeni Corporation and the bound4blue team for cementing this collaboration in the Japanese market. we are looking forward to hearing more good news of impending installations in the coming weeks/months! Read more…
20 June – Installation Announcement – China State Shipbuilding Corporation has announced the retrofitting of the 45,000dwt bulker, the MV Chang Hang Sheng Hai with 4 x 24m x 3m rotors developed domestically in China. Read more…
20 June – PONANT Project Announcement – Wassim Daoud presented the new PONANT zero-emissions cruise design at the European Blue Economy 2023 conference. The vessel will be 50% wind driven and this will be in operation by 2030. More details will be released soon.
19 June – Type Approval Design Certificate (TADC) Announcement – Congratulations to BAR Technologies and Yara Marine Technologies for the awarding of the full Type Approval Design Certificate (TADC) for the Wind Wings system from DNV. Read more…
18 June – Project Announcement – SWOPP – RISE SSPA Maritime Center Workshop On Performance Prediction for wind-powered ships.
SWOPP is a benchmark project for all organizations working with performance predictions of wind-powered and wind-assisted ships. Registration: Email your interest to: swopp@sspa.se
17 June – Project Announcement – The “WIND” research project has secured funding and will now move forward. Congratulations to SINTEF Ocean and the consortium of securing the funding from Norges forskningsråd for the research proposal “WIND” – Enabling Zero-Emission shipping with wind-assisted propulsion. “WIND” is a collaborative project by SINTEF Ocean, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and 12 leading maritime companies including: Kongsberg Maritime; Sea-Cargo AS; Seatrans AS; Klaveness Ship Management AS; Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Skipsrederi AS; Grieg Star; Solvang ASA; Odfjell SE; LMG Marin AS; Polarkonsult AS; Norsepower; AYRO; AIRSEAS
The “WIND” project will enable the maritime sector to move, with confidence, towards ships with wind assisted propulsion where a large portion of the propulsion comes from the wind, both as retrofit solution and newbuilds. “WIND” will generate market opportunities, new jobs, and increase competitiveness in Norwegian maritime sector. Read more…
15 June – Contract Announcement – Congratulations to short sea shipper, Wilson ASA on signing a contract for six 3,800dwt wind-assist bulkers with the option for eight more for delivery in early 2025 to incorporate into their 130+ fleet of MGO fuelled vessels. The design features the Econowind VentoFoil systems. Read more…
14 June – Partnership Announcement – Smart Green Shipping has announced the partnering with Nuclear Transport Solutions maritime transport section to appraise wind-assist sail technology for their ships. The Pacific Grebe, a 103m long 4,900dwt nuclear fuel carrier is being assessed for installation as part of the 2-year ‘Winds of Change’ project. Read more…
13 June – Approval in Principle (AiP) Awarded – Bureau Veritas Group (BV) has awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) to wind propulsion systems on a VLCC and an LNG carrier. This announcement comes at the end of a Joint Development Project (JDP) between Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd, Total Energies and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. Read more…
08 June – Article from DNV – Wind propulsion for RoRo, RoPax and pax vessels Read more…
08 June – Hosting this short launch event for the public vote for the ‘Wind Ship – The Future’ Youth Poster Contest – really excited to show the many, inspirational vision pieces of art we have received – I hope you will be able to join us, and of course even more importantly vote for ones that you like the best!
Thursday, 08 June, 1000-1045 (UK time) – what better way to celebrate World Ocean Day 2023!! Join Us on ZOOM
07 June – Youth Poster Contest – The Time has Come for the Artwork Gallery and our Public Vote
We are delighted to share the imagination, colour and vision of our young artists. The submissions are really inspiring and we will be exhibiting these posters at IWSA events around the world. We will be running three rounds of voting with a winner and runners-up from each round. These rounds start with the PUBLIC VOTE which is outlined here, and will be open until Sunday 18th June. Poster Contest Pages
Please view the artwork submissions in the three age group categories and you will have one vote per category. The other two rounds of voting will be by the Select Jury of Industry and Environmental Experts and by the IWSA members themselves.
We will announce the winners on Friday, 23 June, just ahead of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) discussions on the decarbonisation of the shipping industry. What better way to encourage high ambition and greater vision for the future!
07 June – Hurtigruten Group is to launch its first zero-emission cruise ship in 2030, the Sea Zero project was announced a while back but there is a lot more detail now. IWSA member SINTEF involved as part of the group of 12 organisations in the project that will feature 50m solar sails along with batteries, air lubrication and other innovative systems. The 135m vessel will be capable of taking 500 passengers and will be fully electric when not under wind propulsion and the company is planning to roll out more of this design in the future. We expect to see more announcements of ultra low and zero-emissions vessels from operators in the Norwegian Fjords, with wind-assist and primary wind integrated into those designs over the coming few years as the emissions regulations for operating in the region tighten in 2026. Read more…
07 June – Design Project Announcement – Deltamarin and BAR Technologies are once again partnering to lead the way in wind propulsion innovation with new build design, Aframax/LRII. The new optimised hull design is capable of harnessing wind power for 15% improvement against current fleet. Read more…
05 June – Nor-shipping Awards 2023 – It is a clean (wind) sweep at the Nor-Shipping Awards 2023 last night. Wind propulsion projects won in all three categories:
Nor-Shipping Ocean Solutions Award – Oceanbird for the primary wind car carrier ship design by Alfawall, a joint project between Wallenius Marine AB and Alfa Laval, that will hopefully have it’s first vessel in operation with Wallenius Wilhelmsen in 2026
Next Generation Ship Award – TERNTANK and Kongsberg Maritime for their three wind-assist hybrid 15,000 dwt tankers.
Nor-Shipping Young Entrepreneur Award – Cristina Aleixendri Muñoz of bound4blue, increasingly bringing their suction sail systems to market.
Congratulations to all of the winners and to the others on the shortlist, which included projects from NEOLINE, BAR Technologies & Yara Marine Technologies + Mitsubishi Corporation/Cargill as part of the CHEK PJ project and Danielle Southcott from Veer.Voyage Read more…
05-09 June – United Nations Working Group – New York City – Our Secretary General is at the United Nations headquarters in New York this week, from World Environment Day all the way through to World Ocean Day on 8th June. He is presenting and participating in the UN working group on Oceans and the Law of the Sea, discussing wind propulsion and its impact and opportunities for sustainable development.
06 June – Funding Announcement – Congratulations to SKYTUG® team for being selected to receive a share of the £1.96m funding from the UK Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) Read more…
04 June – Design Project Announcement – Trade Wings 2500 project team and LOUIS DREYFUS ARMATEURS (LDA) are joining forces to complete the design and deliver the 190m, 32,000dwt, 2,500 TEU wind-assist container ship vessel. Read more…
04 June – The European Blue Economy Conference 2023 – IWSA is a supporting organisation for this impactful conference. If you are interested to join us there, please check out the agenda and register here
02 June – Build Announcement – We are very pleased to see the keel laying ceremony for the Pacific Island Supply Vessel at Asia Shipbuilding Co, Ltd. last week. The ship will provide a trading, research and training platform for the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) when it is delivered in early 2024. Read more…
01 June – Survey Launched: Low/Zero Emission Vessels & Wind Propulsion Survey – We have launched this key survey to give us further insights into the industry and policy makers understanding of and engagement with wind propulsion systems and projects.
01-02 June – Wind for Goods – great couple of days in St Nazaire, inspiring and in-depth discussions on the various stages, many technologies and projects on show and boats and company visits. If you came to the event, you would have gone away with a clear idea of how the world of wind propulsion is growing. Thank you for all of the efforts to Association Windship and Nantes Saint-Nazaire Development Agency
01 June – The final WASP Newsletter (May 2023) is now available to download as a pdf – with market update, work package results and more Read here
May 2023
29-31 May – Innov’sail 2023 – great three days bringing together experts in the offshore racing and commercial wind propulsion. The 31st May was the key day for commercial wind propulsion presentations and discussions. Thank you to all of the presenters and in particular the panelists that joined our Secretary General in the round table discussion « Performance assessment in wind shipping : what are the needs ? how capitalise the lessons learnt from ocean racing ? » Those included; Crain Technologies, Wisamo, Zephyr & Boree, DNV and SSPA/RISE
26 May – Shipbuilding – Grain de Sail II is the company’s second ship and is now undergoing outfitting. The 55m ship will have freight capacity to carry up to 240 pallets (350 tons) with additional bulk liquid capacity. Some great pictures of the ongoing build process. Read more…
25 May – Award Winning – Congratulations to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. for winning the prestigious ‘Ship of the Year 2022′ presented by the Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers (JASNAOE) for the MV Shofu Maru, equipped with their Wind Challenger hard sail wind propulsion system. Read more…
24 May – WASP project – Final Webinar Recording Available
In this webinar WASP partners show the final results of the Interreg NSR WASP project. Explaining all about the operational challenges, the potential savings and factors that affects them, how to model and predict WASP techniques, the business case for WASP in general and the future outlook for Wind assisted ship propulsion (WASP). Watch here
23 May – Upcoming Events in France
Wind propulsion is in the spotlight in France over the next two weeks.
01-02 June – The IWSA SG will be speaking at the Wind for Goods event along with many of the French and international members of the International Windship Association – This should be quite an event and if you are interested in meeting the pioneers, innovators, experts and entrepreneurs active in the wind propulsion field, come and join us for an intense and enjoyable two days.
29-31 May – Academics, designers and engineers will gather in Lorient for the Innov’sail 2023 conference to discuss both racing/yacht technologies and commercial wind propulsion systems, synergies and engineering developments. IWSA will host a panel on performance assessments.
24-25 May – Policy & Decarbonisation Experts will come together at the European Maritime Days in Brest, with a key panel discussion featuring wind propulsion advocates, Association Windship and ECSA.
Upcoming Events Internationally – International Windship Association will also be represented on panel discussions in Norshipping (06 June), at the UN HQ in New York for the Law of the Sea Seminar (06 June) and at SeaFuture in La Specia, Italy (07 June)
23 May – Article: Massive Sails Power Ships Like Never Before, WIRED Magazine
Rethinking the way we do shipping – technology, timing, logistics etc. is challenging. However, the boardroom has gone through quite a transformation over the last few years, especially in Europe. Board members get the climate issue, they get the problem of pollution and the need for change, but naturally they also have to give value to their shareholders, and one of the big things with wind is that it’s a free energy source. Very few transport business models are geared to incorporating this fact, but when we do bring that zero-cost/zero-emissions energy into the equation then we get to ask some really important questions around how we move goods and people at sea cleanly and affordably in the coming decades. Read more…
17 May – Press release: Team Malizia and Windcoop Cooperate on Wind Shipping Project
Congratulations to Windcoop and TEAM MALIZIA on teaming up and promoting commercial wind propulsion and on this primary wind ship project in particular. Looking forward to seeing this vessel design coming off the drawing board and into operation. Read more…
17 May – Press Release: bound4blue and Oceanking team up to offer innovative wind-assisted propulsion technology in Greece and Cyprus
bound4blue has announced a partnership with Oceanking S.A. to expand access to the eSAIL technology in Greece and Cyprus. As the industry strives towards decarbonization, it becomes increasingly crucial for shipowners to have access to proven solutions that enhance both profitability and sustainability. This is even of greater importance knowing that Greek-owned fleets represent an impressive 59% of the European Union controlled fleet, serving as the backbone of European shipping. In addition to that, Cyprus has the third largest merchant fleet in Europe and the 11th largest in the world. This partnership directly addresses these pressing needs by empowering shipowners in these regions with cutting-edge technology to achieve their goals and pave the way for a greener future. Read more…
15 May – New Design Announcement – VELA is a French start-up designing and equipping cargo sailboats aiming to decarbonize maritime transport thanks to high-performance 100% sailing ships. François Gabart, skipper of the SVR-Lazartigue trimaran, designed by VPLP Design, is also associated with the project as co-founder of Vela. The project also benefits from the technical partnership of MerConcept. The first VELA ships will connect France to the United States, transporting approx. 450 US pallets. Read more…
14 May – Study Paper: Voyage Optimization with Wind Propulsion (Sept 2022) – Ville Paakkari Norsepower, H Wang, C Stigler
Abstract: Wind propulsion has been proven to produce significant fuel savings on commercial vessels. The typical savings potential of wind propulsion on conventional cargo ships is 5-25%. On the other hand, voyage optimization and weather routing has been shown to produce similarly large fuel savings in the order of 15%. Wind is an intermittent energy source, and it often occurs together with waves, making ships installed with wind propulsion especially interesting from weather routing point of view. This means that a holistic approach is needed when conducting weather routing for ships with wind propulsion. Using detailed simulations, this paper studies how the fuel savings potential of wind propulsion can be further improved by coupling it with state-of-the-art voyage optimization software. Via case study examples, it is shown that the savings potential of wind propulsion can be more than doubled by using voyage optimization. Download paper
12 May – MEPC80 Submission – Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships: Wind propulsion technologies as a key enabler
We are very pleased to announce that our MEPC80/INF.33 paper submitted by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) and International Windship Association (IWSA) has been accepted and uploaded for public access to IMO Docs and downloadable here
Executive summary: The maritime wind propulsion industry is evolving rapidly with significant strides made in analysis, testing, verification and demonstrator ship deployment that make use of Wind Propulsion Technologies (WPTs). This document highlights much of that progress and summarizes the key themes and papers delivered during a recent event held at IMO.
This gathering of wind propulsion experts and end users on 16-17 February 2023 at IMO Headquarters in London, represented a significant milestone in the journey to develop a wind-powered fleet fit for the 2030’s and beyond. The keynote speech by the IMO Secretariat referred to both the scale of the challenge of decarbonization facing the shipping industry but also outlining the positive initiatives underway in IMO. The Secretariat also highlighted how the potential for wind propulsion aligns with these IMO and industry goals and will be an important technology segment available to reach the goals to be set at MEPC 80.
The paper includes short summaries of each of the conference papers presented through the two days and full copies of these proceedings can be ordered from RINA directly – check for details https://www.rina.org.uk/Wind_Propulsion_2023.html or email request to publications@rina.org.uk
12 May – Youth Poster Contest – ‘Wind Ship – The Future’ – We have updated our Select jury pages, for the Youth Poster contest with 19 judges from 12 different countries covering the shipping industry, ship design, media, government, academia, ocean and maritime NGO’s, youth groups and renewable energy. With four more days to go until our new deadline for submissions, we are looking forward to publishing the entries on the website and progressing to the next stage of the contest.
10 May – Upcoming event on 19 May – High-Level Malizia Panel Debate about Decarbonization of Shipping and Wind Propulsion – Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Team Malizia is about to arrive in Newport after the 4th leg of the Ocean Race 2023. It was a tough race leg from Brazil up to the US East coast with two boats got de-masted in heavy weather. After a short stop in Newport (Rhode Island) they will set sail again to cross the Atlantic to Denmark (Aarhus) on 21 May. During their stop in Newport, they will hold their High-Level Malizia Panel Debate about Decarbonization of Shipping and Wind Propulsion. Download Programme
If you are around Newport (Rhode Island) please feel free to join the event by registering via this Link (small registration fee applies) Livestreaming the event via our Youtube Channel.
10 May – Sail Cargo Line Launched – Sail Cargo Company EcoClipper on Maiden Voyage
Emission free short sea Western European liner service has started. De Tukker, the first ship operated by sail cargo company Ecoclipper, has set sail. Leaving Amsterdam carrying chocolate and headed for Porto where she is expected to arrive around May 13th and take on a cargo of wine and olive oil. This is the first voyage on a sailing schedule which will see the ship sail on a regular route across North and West Europe. De Tukker, which was built in 1912 has over 300 square metres of sail, carrying capacity of about 70 cubic metres (50-70 tons) & accommodation for up to 12 trainees or travellers. Read more…
10 May – Article (in Dutch) – Is de tijd van scheepsmotoren voorbij nu zeilvrachtvaart de wind mee heeft?
This Dutch article asks the key headline question that with the growth of wind powered vessels; “Is zero-emissions shipping within our grasp?” Read more…
09 May – Seminar on the IMO GHG developments ahead of MEPC 80, IMO HQ, London
IWSA Secretary General joined leading experts in the IMO to present the current state of play with the discussions on MEPC80, the IMO strategy and long term measures. This timely three-hour seminar was organised by the IMO delegation of Thailand along with Opportunity Green and featured presentations by IMO, UMAS/UCL, UNCTAD, DNV/Ricardo, UN Global Compact, Global Maritime Forum, ITF among others. Much of the debate to date on measures to reach ambitious decarbonisation goals has been centred on alternative fuel provision and cost.
The IWSA presentation focused on ‘delivery and no long-term cost’, with wind +energy efficiency+operational optimisation being able to deliver significantly on ambitious 2030 interim GHG reductions and can be a solid foundation for bold high ambition 2050 targets. There will be much debate over the next couple of months ahead of MEPC80 but these key issues resonated throughout the seminar; we have the tools and fuels to deliver, we can do this at scale and quickly if we so choose, costs are manageable, just/equitable transition needs to be integrated into the process and our carbon budget to stay within 1.5C of warming is dwindling fast.
05 May – Youth Poster Contest: ‘Wind Ship – The Future’ – Select Jury Members
We are delighted to announce our first tranche of select jury members for the ‘Wind Ship – The Future’ youth poster contest. This list includes world famous sailors, shipping industry professionals, shipping journalists, leading academics, maritime educators, youth ocean climate advocates and climate, environment and ocean NGO leaders. We will also be adding some additional jury members over the next week. Read more…
Submission Deadline – Extension – NOTE: We have also extended the submission deadline by 4 days to May 16 (as some schools have been on holiday) – Submission Criteria
Please remember, there will also be a public vote from May 18.
02 May – Article: The ‘Coanda Effect’: Shipping industry looks to laws of aerodynamics to slash emissions
A research team at Chalmers University of Technology claims to be the first to demonstrate that it is possible to reduce the aerodynamic resistance of ships by up to 7.5% using the “Coanda effect”. They also believe that harnessing that could be highly beneficial to future wind propelled shipping. Read more…
April 2023
27 April – Ship Captain’s Interview – SC Connector
A very interesting interview with the Captain of the Sea-Cargo AS SC Connector, a Ro-Ro vessel operating in the North Sea with two tiltable 35m Norsepower rotor sails, certified by DNV.
“Always on schedule with rotor sails – a captain tells his story”. The interview gives you a clear insight, from the captain’s perspective, into the benefits of using wind propulsion systems, in particular flettner rotors, and some of the operational changes. Read more…
27 April – Article in the New Yorker – The Climate Crisis Gives Sailing Ships a Second Wind. Cargo vessels are some of the dirtiest vehicles in existence. Can a centuries-old technology help to clean them up? Read more…
27 April – Nor-Shipping Awards 2023 – Wind Blows Strong in the Shortlist Announcement
We are very pleased to see that six wind propulsion projects feature in the shortlists for the prestigious Nor-Shipping Awards this year with the winners to be announced on 05 June.
Next Generation Ship Award
– Swedish operator Terntank’s Hybrid Tanker 15,000dwt newbuildings, with suction sail systems
– Mitsubishi Corporation’s 80,926dwt Kamsarmax bulk carrier Pyxis Ocean is the retrofit entry, with a new sail system for the 2017-built ship showcasing BAR Technology and Yara Marine Technology’s WindWings Technology.
– Neoline’s Neoliner 136, a primary wind-powered ro-ro vessel which can also carry containers, which will have 3,000m2 of sail area. Chantiers de l’Atlantique is supplying its SolidSail system.
Ocean Solutions Award
– Oceanbird wind assist technology from the Alfa Laval/Wallenius joint venture Alfawall. The wing sails, which have more in common with airplane wings than traditional sails, can transform the viability of wind power for large deep-sea vessels
Young Entrepreneur Award
– Christina Aleixendri Munos, Co-founder and CEO, bound4blue
– Danielle Southcott, Founder, Veer Corporation
26 April – Webinar: Gone with the Wind, WASP project results and impacts
The final WASP project webinar discussed the deliverables, results and impacts of the project along with representatives from all of the main work groups. The webinar was moderated by Craig Eason from Fathom World and featured contributions from Dr Josh Lacey, KUL, Dr Sofia Werner, RISE, Dr Gordon Wilmsmeier, KLU and Gavin Allwright, IWSA. Recording will be available soon.
25 April – Article: Return Voyage – Energy Centric Approach to Green Corridor Development
‘Shipping is the only global transport industry that transitioned from zero-emissions to heavy fossil fuel dependency and is now making the return voyage’ – in this article in April’s edition of Bunkerspot, our Secretary general takes a look at the new “Green Corridors’ phenomenon and links that to a very old ‘wind corridor’ network we have used for centuries and is still freely available to us today. Bringing zero-emissions/zero-cost wind energy for direct ship propulsion into the equation changes the techno-economic dynamic and we can then ask the question; “Shouldn’t this be playing a far more prominent role in any zero-emissions network that we are constructing?” Read more – Return voyage
23 April – New Class Guidelines – ClassNK release “Guidelines for Wind-Assisted Propulsion Systems for Ships (Edition 2.0) These guidelines update the existing guidelines release in 2019 which specify requirements for ensuring the safety of ships equipped with wind-assisted propulsion systems based on the latest insights obtained from the involvement in actual installation projects.
The guidelines are available to download via ClassNK’s website for those who have registered for the ClassNK “My Page”.
20 April – Webinar: Wind technologies for cleaner shipping
WASP project presented and discussed the key project results from the WASP project in a webinar chiefly aimed at EU policy makers but also wider maritime stakeholders. The webinar was organised by Green Transition Denmark and featured presentations and panellists: Dr Kare Press-Kristensen, Senior Advisor, Green Transition Denmark, Gavin Allwright, Secretary General, International Windship Association, Dr Cristiam Gil, Senior Researcher, Kühne Logistics University and Marko Möller, Manager, Special projects, Scandlines. Recording will be available soon.
19 April – Contract Announcement – Singapore-based Ocean Network Express (ONE) announced it will install two 10.5m x 2.8m containerized Ventofoils (an upgraded Ventifoil) wind assist units supplied by Econowind on the Norse-owned, 143m, 1036 TEU feeder container ship the MV Kalamazoo by the end of 2023. As far as we know, this will be the first container ship with some form of wind-assist capability. Read more…
19 April – Green4Sea ‘Personality’ Award picked up by IWSA Secretary General
We are delighted to announce that Gavin Allwright, IWSA Secretary General has been awarded the Personality award in this year’s Green 4 Sea Awards. Gavin states: “I am delighted to receive this award. It is not just a personal award but underscores the great achievements that the wind propulsion innovators, pioneers, designers, engineers and entrepreneurs have all notched up over the last few years. It continues to be my honour to work alongside them and on whose shoulders I stand. Thank you to all of them for what they teach me everyday, and to the Green4Sea team and to the industry for this recognition. We will continue to strive forwards, moving ever quicker to decarbonise the fleet using this zero-emissions, zero-cost energy source and continue collaborating with all stakeholders in the industry. A Win-Win-Wind situation!”
17-21 April – Blueweek conference in Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Thank you to MARIN and all of the excellent presenters during the Natural Propulsion Seminar, Zero-Emissions seminar and throughout the week. With 80+ attendees there was lively debate on the technical developments in the wind propulsion sector alongside innovations in zero-emissions fuel and technologies – a week in the sun well spent! Presentations will be uploaded in due course
17 April – IWSA Quarterly Members Meeting
We had an active and informative meeting held in person at the Blueweek Venue in Palma with c.30 members present in person with another 20+ members attending virtually. Discussions hinged around policy matters with the impending EU regulation changes and IMO deliberations in June and July. We had an update on the wind propulsion market developments, IWSA activities, and upcoming events.
13 April – New Class Guidelines – China Classification Society has released their Guidelines for Survey of Marine Wind-Rotor Assisted Propulsion System 2023 in English Read more…
13 April – We are delighted to announce the first IWSA Youth Poster Competition
We invite budding artists (02-17 years old) from all over the world to submit their original artwork on the theme of “Wind Ship – The Future”. Your poster, picture or short animated video billboard should transport us to a future where ships are powered by the wind.
Using wind to power ships is a powerful beacon of clean, green and sustainable pathways to living in harmony with our planet and we would love to see your ideas, your creativity, inspiration and dreams for these ships of the future.
Deadline for Submissions – 12 May 2023
Competition details – Competition Webpage
Press Release – Download
08 April – Article – SWZ Maritime asked our Secretary General to share his thoughts on the wind propulsion market and where that is heading. His conclusion: “2023 and 2024 are lining up to be the take-off period for this technology and the question shipowners are now asking themselves is ‘do we move now and lock in the benefits today, including gaining a label of “pioneer?”’, or ‘do we hold fire, make our vessels wind-ready and wait for costs to lower due to economies of scale and a significant learning curve over the next two years?’ This is something of a quandary – should one harness free, zero-emissions wind energy today, or do it tomorrow – not a bad dilemma to have.” Read more…
07 April – Award Winners – Congratulations to the team at GT Green Technologies on winning the Start-up of the Year award at the Maritime UK Awards! Read more…
07 April – Guidelines for Survey of Marine Wind-Rotor Assisted Propulsion System 2023 – The China Classification Society has released their Wind-Rotor guidelines that are now available for download.
06 April – Blueweek -Registration is still open for the conference in Palma, Majorca – Detailed Program
IWSA will hold it’s quarterly members meeting on Monday, 17th April, followed by the Natural Propulsion Seminar with many wind-related papers and the Zero-emissions seminar on the 18th. Register here
05 April – The Association Wind Ship (The Atlantic hub of IWSA) joins forces with IRT Jules Verne to breathe new life into sailing – The Wind Ship association, which brings together the main sailing transport companies, has just joined forces with IRT Jules Verne to accelerate the industrial development of the sector in France. Read more…
03 April – Article – Wind propulsion returns to commercial vessels
It has taken a raft of regulatory initiatives, but finally, wind is back on the agenda as a main source of propulsion. Free-to-use wind as a source of energy across vessel types is firmly back on the agenda. The current projects based on wind power fall into two camps: one involves maximising available wind to provide a main source of propulsion. Read more…
March 2023
31 March – Norsepower has signed a contract with Iino Kaiun Kaisha Ltd for the installation of two 20m x 4m rotor sails on a newbuild Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC).
The LPG dual-fuel vessel has been delivered wind-ready today from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co, Ltd. in Korea, and the side-by-side rotors will be installed in Q2 2024. Read more…
29 March – Green4Sea Athens Forum – IWSA Secretary General was delighted to have presented at Green4sea Athens forum alongside Aihara-san, from IWSA member ClassNK – Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, in Athens – presenting and discussing the lowest hanging fruit when it comes to zero-emissions propulsion options – Direct wind propulsion!
24 March – IMO Intersessional Working Group GHG 14 – A long week of negotiations held at the Intersessional working group at the International Maritime Organization in preparation for MEPC80. Nothing is decided until everything is decided and a wide spectrum of positions were stated on the key ambitions for the new decarbonisation strategy and there was growing understanding on what mid-/long-term measures may look like – some form of carbon levy with proceeds returned in part to the industry to facilitate the transition and in part to LDC/SIDs for adaptation measures backed by a Global Fuel Standard.
The steep challenge going forward is to reach the level of ‘deliverable’ reductions that align closely with the Paris goals and reports such as last week’s bleak IPCC AR6 synthesis report that requires swift and deep cuts to emissions in all sectors up to 50% this decade. We heard little convergence on that, but a clear appreciation in the room that action has to be taken tempered by the concerns by quite a number of countries on the potential negative economic impacts of such rapid decarbonisation.
We support those high ambition efforts, primarily by reminding delegates that we have a significant basket of measures beyond the costly but necessary proposed 5% target of alternative low/zero-emissions fuel by 2030. Wind propulsion along with energy efficiency measures and operational changes can each deliver 20%+ of the emissions reductions required, and importantly pay for themselves within a few years. These will do much of the heavy lifting over the next 10-15 years (and beyond)
Thus bold and ambitious targets can be achieved if we support first movers, focus on these low hanging fruit now and deliver regulatory certainty and a mid-term financial framework in July.
P.S. Great to see a wind-assist vessel displayed prominently as the holding slide during the proceedings!
24 March – Article – Shipping starts to embrace wind propulsion as sail system installations rise
The first two WindWings sails from BAR Technologies and Yara MarineTecnologies will be installed on a vessel in May and orders of up to 100 WindWings are expected by the end of 2024. Read more…
24 March – Capital Ship Management Corp. Wind-ready MR Tankers – Capital Ship Management Corp. based in Piraeus, Greece, has taken delivery of it’s third wind-assist ready newbuild, 50,000 dwt Chemical/Product MR tanker vessel, the M/T Avax (along with the sister ships the M/T Agisilaos in February and the M/T Alkiviadis in January). Three more vessels are expected to be delivered in 2023 with the wind-assist ready notations by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
Read more…
24 March – Lots going on at SubSeaSail. They will be launching their upgraded HORUS in the next weeks! It will look the same as previous iterations but have significantly enhanced capabilities.
23 March – Article – Cargo ships powered by wind could help tackle climate crisis
Shipping produces a significant portion of the world’s greenhouse gases but new technology offers solutions to cut fuel use Read more…
23 March – Fit for 55: deal on new EU rules for cleaner maritime fuels
The EU trialogue has reached a provisional agreement on the FuelEU Maritime initiative, that delivers a raised ambition on decarbonisation, but there is still work to be done during subsequent review cycles. The 6% reduction target by 2030 and 14.5% by 2035, 31% by 2040 and 80% by 2050 still lacks the level of ambition we need to bring the scale of change we need in the industry, especially with the weak near-term alignment with the EU Fit 55, 55% carbon reduction target by 2030 overall and the latest IPCC A6 synthesis report requiring 50% reduction in every sector in the same period..
The review process does however open the door to raise that ambition, and we know as wind propulsion grows substantially in the next few years there will be better understanding among the policy makers of the substantial contribution it brings, but time is of the essence.
Key issues that also remain unresolved include: multipliers delivered to RFNBO fuels but not to zero-emissions energy sources such as wind propulsion, technology/fuel neutrality, the need to expand provisions to vessels under 5,000GT which are often vital ship sizes for the roll-out of innovative green technologies. Read more…
22 March – Construction of the first 136m NEOLINE “Neoliner”, a primary wind powered RoRo ship for routes in the North Atlantic has commenced at the RMK Marine Gemi Yapım Sanayii ve Deniz Taşımacılığı İşletmesi A.Ş shipyard in Turkey. The vessel will feature 2 x 76m solid sail systems designed by Chantiers de l’Atlantique. The customers for this first vessel include Renault Group, BENETEAU Group, MANITOU Group, Michelin, Hennessy, Groupe Clarins, Longchamp and Rémy Cointreau. Investors include CMA CGM and Corsica Ferries. Read more…
21 March – Award Winners – Congratulations to Wallenius Wilhelmsen and Oceanbird team for the Orcelle Wind project being awarded the prestigious Heyerdahl Award 2023 Read more…
17 March – BBC video – A compact BBC show following the Oceanbird project and their vision for the return and scaling of wind propulsion. Read more…
16 March – International Conference on Wind Propulsion for Ships in Busan – the first major wind propulsion event to be held in Korea organised by SSPA/RISE
16 March – Thordon Bearings Delivers Robust Support To Wind Power-In-A-Box Technology
Great to see Thordon Bearings Inc. involved with the Aloft Systems demonstrator. As Craig Carter, Thordon Bearings’ VP Business Development, states: “As a member of the International Windship Association (IWSA), we are keen to support new developments in sustainable propulsion technology. Wind is currently the only zero-emission means of propulsion and Aloft Systems has found a way of making that energy available for all vessels.” Read more…
15 March – Terntank wind-ready vessels – As wind propulsion momentum continues a pace, the market is increasingly embracing wind-assist solutions in both retrofit and new builds, with the tanker market starting to follow the bulker segment. Here the Finnish North European Oil Trade (NEOT) group has signed a charter agreement with TERNTANK for the shipping company’s two newbuild wind/methanol-ready hybrid tankers that will be delivered in 2025. Read more…
14 March – Article – Future Cargo Ships Could Be Powered by Wind
As part of the two-year development program, scientists will test the impact of a retractable 20-meter-high FastRig wing-sail. Scientists from the University of Southampton have received funding from Innovate UK to investigate the potential of the technology as part of efforts to decarbonize the UK’s maritime sector. Read more…
13 March – Motorships 44th Propulsion & Future Fuels Conference – International Windship Association has returned as supporters for the 44th Propulsion & Future Fuels Conference to be held 21-23 November, 2023 in Hamburg, Germany
Read more…
13 March – Article – Ships harness wind for voyage to a cleaner future
Cristina Aleixendri Muñoz from bound4blue states “In the end, wind propulsion is providing free, renewable energy that you don’t have to store or invest in infrastructure to supply,”
Rogier Eggers from MARIN (Maritime Research Institute Netherlands) as part of the Optiwise EU project suggests that innovations could deliver savings of well over 30% in carbon emissions, maybe even reaching as much as 50%. Read more…
13 March – News from the small vessel sail cargo segment, the SV Blue Mermaid has been issued with her official permit to carry cargo under sail enabling the Sea-Change Sailing Trust to deliver sail training voyages with real purpose on routes between Lowestoft in Suffolk and Sandwich in Kent
The vessel has cargo space for 110 tonnes of cargo and they are currently looking for cargo. As they state; “If taking up to four articulated lorries off the road is not enticing enough, we will also deliver your first cargo for the 1931 freight rate! Read more…
12 March – Award Winners – Congratulations to Chantiers de l’Atlantique for winning the 2023 JEC Group Composites Innovation Awards in the “Maritime Transportation and Shipbuilding” category for their Solid Sail Mast project. Bureau Veritas delivered an AiP for solid sails in 2022, and are conducting the approval process for the design and construction of the mast and systems.
08 March – The EcoClipper liner service, for passengers and cargo, will start operating from 22 April 2023, departing from Amsterdam at 10 am CET. The traditional two-masted ship De Tukker will sail three times a year on a scheduled service calling at: Amsterdam, Penzance, Porto, Noirmoutier, St. Nazaire, Torquay, London and Scheveningen carrying up to 12 passengers and 70m3 of cargo. Read more…
09 March – New Member – We are very pleased to announce our latest new member, Cargill Ocean Transportation, which is a leading freight-trading organization and charterer of approximately 650 vessels at a time moving 200 million tons of dry and wet bulk commodities around the world annually.
29 March – Upcoming Event – 2023 GREEN4SEA Athens Forum – IWSA official supporter
A must attend event for all companies and individuals interested in Maritime Environmental Excellence and Sustainable Shipping. GREEN4SEA Athens Forum is scheduled as a full day event on
Wednesday 29th of March 2023 at Eugenides Foundation. Do not miss this great opportunity to establish relationships with potential partners, join us at GREEN4SEA Athens Forum! REGISTER NOW
08 March – US & Oceania Tour – The IWSA Secretary General will be travelling to the United States, Fiji, Australia and New Zealand in May 2023. More details of the schedule will be released in the next couple of weeks, however if you are interested to arrange a meeting, attend an event, schedule a media interview or help support this tour, then please get in touch directly at secretary@wind-ship.org
08 March – New Member – We are delighted to have Aurelia Green Ship Concept Design come onboard as a new Associate member and we are looking forward to working with the team to help accelerate the uptake of commercial wind propulsion.
08 March – Agreement Announcement – MOL and VALE will install two 35m Norsepower Rotor Sails™️ on an in-service 200,000dwt Capesize Bulk Carrier in Q2 2024. Read more…
06 March – The Blueweek Natural Propulsion Seminar programme on Day 1 of the BlueWeek is now public. Tuesday 18 April 2023. All details will also be available on the www.blueforum.org site by the end of the week.
06 March – Extended Article on Wind Propulsion in one of the leading German newspapers, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, asking the question;
Eine grüne Revolution für die Seefahrt? (A green revolution for seafaring?) Read more… (German)
02-03 March – The Shipping, Sustainability and Solutions conference saw multiple wind propulsion presentations and even more discussions on current and future projects coming through the pipeline. Thank you to the Kuhne Logistics University Team for organising the well-attended event and to Team Malizia for their keynote presentation.
February 2023
27 February – Congratulations to Zéphyr & Borée and partners for winning this award for the Mervent 2025 project aimed to build the first commercial primary wind container vessel by 2026. Read more…
24 February – IWSA Secretary General was honoured to be asked to make a presentation at the annual SNAME WES Symposium in University of Strathclyde NAOME, Glasgow.
We are very pleased to announce a batch of new members, both full members and registered supporters. We are looking forward to working together to further our shared aims to bring about a wind-powered future for commercial shipping.
McFarlane ShipDesign (Monaco)
CoFlow Jet (USA)
Registered Supporters
Aegean Cargo Sailing (Greece)
Navalt Solar and Electric Boats Pvt Ltd. (India)
Charles Southcott, Royal Navy, Ship Science l Maritime Engineering l University of Southampton (UK)
23 February – Installation: Norsepower has installed two tilting 35m x 5m Rotor Sails on the CLdN MV Delphine, a Ro-Ro vessel in operation between the UK, Ireland and Europe, which is reportedly the largest short sea Ro-Ro vessel operating in the world today. Read more…
20 February – More UK funding News – Shore UK has announced that three wind propulsion projects have secured funding, congratulations to all!
- A second tranche of support for Smart Green Shipping (read more…)
- WindShip Technology secures £4million ($4.5 million) for trialling their wing sails and onboard CCS. (read more…)
- Wingtek – for prototype and piloting their wing sail designs
A Winter Gust of Media Attention
February has seen quite a lot of wind propulsion media attention and we are delighted to see that.
Bunkerworld – Gavin Allwright, our Secretary General outlines his take on shipping developments, impacts of regulations, the need for high ambition in decarbonisation and how we might achieve that with wind propulsion installations etc. Quite a read, but very worthwhile! Download PDF – Bunkerspot Survey 2023
Splash 24/7 – Wind Power for Shipping – Nice to Have or a Must https://splash247.com/wind-power-for-shipping-nice-to-have-or-a-must/
Maritime Executive – Sailing Cargo Ships are Making a Genuine Comeback https://www.maritime-executive.com/editorials/sailing-cargo-ships-are-making-a-genuine-comeback
Lloyds List – Optimising Voyages Would Boost CII Ratings Says Study – https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1143977/Optimising-voyages-would-boost-CII-ratings-says-study
Financial Times – Shipping lines return to proven power of wind https://www.ft.com/content/50656582-8b42-47d9-9bcf-decb0f976dd3
Offshore Energy – Bulkers emerging as champions of wind-assisted propulsion as rotors sails hold sway over WPT installations https://www.offshore-energy.biz/bulkers-emerging-as-champions-of-wind-assisted-propulsion-as-rotor-sails-hold-sway-over-wpt-installations/
IWSA: Momentum continues to grow for wind-installed vessels https://www.offshore-energy.biz/iwsa-momentum-continues-to-grow-for-wind-installed-vessels/
Ship & Bunker – Wind Propulsion Installations to Triple in 2023 – https://shipandbunker.com/news/world/149632-wind-propulsion-installations-to-triple-in-2023
Two new websites:
The activist shipping company: Windcoop is changing maritime transport on a social level https://www.wind.coop/en/
New Energy Shipping – Carbon Free Shipping for a Zero Carbon Future, Connecting Europe with Reliable, Effective, Zero-Carbon Cargo Services https://www.newenergyshipping.com/
International Conference on Wind Propulsion for Ships (KOREA) – 16 March
Pleased to see another wind propulsion conference underway, this time SSPA – Your Maritime Solution Partner and the Korean Register taking the lead for this event in Busan. There is a growing interest in wind propulsion solutions among stakeholders in Korea and the wider N.E. Asia region and International Windship Association and our membership look forward to increased engagement with the region going forward – registration links below.
Korean Register(KR) and Maritime at RISE (former SSPA) cordially invite you to attend ‘International conference on Wind Propulsion for Ships’ on 16th March, 2023. The conference will be held at Nurimaru APEC House 2F Conference room, Busan, Korea.
This first event on Wind Propulsion for Ships in Korea will focus on technological innovation, challenges and possibilities to save fuel and improve EEXI and CII values. Several word-leading technology provides from Europe and Korea will present their current and future solutions.
The challenges of decarbonisation of sea transports will require global collaboration. Therefore, this event will also offer opportunities for networking with partners from the Korean and European shipping industry.
Please register in here (No registration fee required):International Conference on Wind Propulsion for Ships
16-17 February – Wind Propulsion 2023
We would like to extend our thanks to all of the presenters that joined IWSA and the Royal Institution of Naval Architects at the conference held at the IMO HQ building in London. A big thank you is also extended to our keynote speaker on the 16th,
With 117 attendees, this was a high level gathering of many of the leading experts in the wind propulsion sphere, some excellent networking opportunities and a glass or two of beer to boot.
We would also like to thank the event sponsor Yara Marine Technologies.
All attendees will have access to the presentations and full papers once those are published, and if you weren’t able to join us, you can still order a copy of the proceedings by contacting RINA directly.
We will see you all again for the next conference in 2024
If you would like to get a feel for the proceedings please check these articles:
Fathom https://fathom.world/still-blowin-in-the-wind/
https://fathom.world/opinion-getting-the-wind-in-their-wings/
10 February – Congratulations to Michelin and the WISAMO team on DNV awarding their Approval in Principle (AiP) for the WISAMO wing sail system. Read more…
REMINDER – Are you interested in joining the WASP project team for the following seminar on Wednesday, 23 February – WASP Best Practices Exchange: Linking technological capabilities to the business case for wind assisted ship propulsion.
Date: 23/02/2023, 10.30-12 CET
Place: Online (Microsoft Teams)
Download details – WASP Best Practice Exchange – 23 Feb 2023
06 February – Press Release – Smart Green Shipping celebrates new wave of investment from MOL Drybulk Ltd and Scottish Enterprise Read more…
4 February – IWSA Newsletter from December 2022 is now available to download IWSA Newsletter Dec 2022
02 February – IWSA presentation entitled Re-wind not Rewind: 21st Century Wind Propulsion System and a decarbonisation pathway for shipping at Newcastle University, UK to the distinguished members of the N.E. UK Chapter of IMarEST and RINA
01 February – FlettnerFLEET – the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection funding this three year study on rotor sails. The project “FlettnerFLEET – Development of a comprehensive methodology for the integration of Flettner rotors on different types of ships” is led by MARIKO GmbH and launched last month with the aim of completion in 2026. The project will focus on three installations on the E-ship 1 (4 rotors), and the Fehn Pollux and Annika Braren both with single rotors. Read more…
01 February – Holland Shipyards Group has landed an order to construct two wind-assist 3,600dwt coasters for Dutch shipping company De Bock Maritiem B.V., designed by Conoship International with twin Econowind suction wings.
Upcoming Events (February & March)
There are a string of events in the coming weeks that are either featuring wind propulsion or where IWSA is an official supporting organisation.
16-17 February – Wind Propulsion Conference 2023 – The International Windship Association is teaming up again with RINA to deliver the 3rd Wind Propulsion Conference on 16-17 February 2023. Sponsored by YARA Marine Technologies This will be held at the IMO headquarters in London this time. Register Now! (IWSA member discount)
Shipping, Sustainability and Solutions (SSS2023) Conference – 02-03 March, hosted by the Hapag-Lloyd Center for Shipping and Global Logistics at Kuehne Logistics University and supported by the WASP project is now live. Register here
The full program will be released shortly, but papers and presentations will come from specialists across the shipping sustainability spectrum and will include the final conference materials from the WASP project on day 2 – check out the conference themes. Read more…
CMA Shipping 2023 – 21-23 March (IWSA Official Supporting Organisation) Hilton Stamford | Connecticut, USA
CMA Shipping is the premier meeting place in North America for the global maritime community. More information // Register here (IWSA members discount code is: FKT3879IMIWSA)
January 2023
WASP Project January 2023 Newsletter Release – either download the pdf or view online with flipbook
WASP Newsletter January 2023 (pdf)
WASP Newsletter January 2023 Flipbook
31 January – Funding Announcement – Congratulations to the team at Norsepower for securing the Ilmastorahasto – The Finnish Climate Fund capital loan of up to EUR10m ($10.85m) for increasing its production capacity. Read more…
29 January – Wind-ready Tankers – Another first in the wind propulsion world. Capital Ship Management Corp. took delivery of the first of six American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) designated Wind-Assisted Ready newbuild tankers, the 50,000dwt MR tanker ‘Alkiviadis’, built by Hyundai Vietnam Shipyard Co Ltd. Read more…
27 January – Oceanbird was live from the ABBA arena in London, the event featured the Oceanbird team and Wallenius Wilhelmsen along with experts from IMO, NTE and WSC – Watch Video
27 January – Wind-assist Design from Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. receiving an AiP from ClassNK – Nippon Kaiji Kyokai. Wind is compatible with all new alternative (and current) fuels, reducing total operational costs, which will be extremely important in the next couple of decades as these current fossil fuel derived alternatives are replaced with greener renewable energy produced versions.
26 January – New Member – Team Malizia, the professional sailing team led by German skipper, Boris Herrmann has become the first offshore sailing team to become a member of the International Windship Association (IWSA) Press Release
26 January – Installation contract – Congratulations to Norsepower, SOCATRA and TotalEnergies on signing a contract for the installation of 2 x 35m x 5m rotor sails on the French flagged MR tanker by the end of the year. Read more…
24 January – The first images of Grain de Sail 2, the second sail cargo vessel to be operated by the group which is under construction in Vietnam and will have a load capacity multiplied by 7 compared to Grain de Sail 1 Watch Video
23 January – Press Release – Aurelia Green Ship Concept Design green retrofitting for a 205k DWT Bulk carrier for GHG emissions reduction in concert with NEPA SHIPPING and ALOFT SYSTEMS Read more…
22 January – Classification Guidelines – Good to hear that the China Classification Society (CCS) has issued guidance for wind-assist installations, the spread of class guidelines for wind propulsion is a clear indication of the growth of interest in the sector and the need to standardise these approaches as the market gains momentum. The Guidelines for Wind-Assisted Propulsion Systems for Ships are available to download free of charge via CCS’s website www.ccs.org.cn
20 January – Announcement – You can now support the new Andrus Fellowship described below, which is fully aligned with the mission of the Center for Post Carbon Logistics. All donations through 3.1.23 will be used to support the charitable purposes of this project Read more…
The Erik Andrus Sustainable Regional Logistics Fellowship is a project of The Center for Post Carbon Logistics. The position is named for Erik Andrus, the rice farmer who created the Vermont Sail Freight vessel Ceres and inspired many regional “make-sustainability-real” efforts. As such the Coordinator will emphasize practical, day-to-day work, but also fundraising and meeting with various governmental and commercial entities, toward these goals but also emphasize sharing of information and building of community to aid in the overall effort. Support our work here
19 January – New Member – We are delighted to welcome NAPA as an IWSA member as the company is expanding its efforts to support the decarbonization of shipping by becoming an associate member. Press Release
18 January – Press release – Through its subsidiary GROUPE SEALOGIS, GEODIS becomes shipping agent for France for the shipping company Zéphyr & Borée. As shipping agent for France, GROUPE SEALOGIS will be responsible for presenting, promoting and marketing the services of Zéphyr & Borée to its clientele of shippers and forwarders. Read more…
18 January – NEOLINE Armateur has signed a contract for the construction of the first Neoliner, a 136m long Ro-Ro sailing cargo ship with the Turkish shipyard RMK MARINE. This contract came into force on January 6, 2023 after the required conditions were met. The vessel will be outfitted with the SolidSail rigging system, supplied by Chantiers de l’Atlantique.
The first Neoliner is supported and co-financed by CMA CGM, ADEME Investissement, NEOLINE Développement, Corsica Ferries, Louis Hardy S.A.S, the Banque des Territoires and the Région Pays de la Loire. The share of bank financing is provided by the Crédit industriel et commercial (CIC) and guaranteed by the Public Bank of Investment (Bpifrance).
This first vessel is scheduled to be delivered and commissioned mid-2025 on the transatlantic pilot line between Saint-Nazaire (FR), Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon (FR), Baltimore (US) and Halifax (CAN).
16 January – MARIKO hosted the kick off meeting for the FlettnerFLEET project. Over the next three years, they will strive for the further development of rotor technology, develop Flettner rotor ships and take care of monitoring and assistance systems.
15 January – Oceanbird, Wallenius Wilhelmsen and project partners have secured a Horizon Europe funding totalling EUR 9m to support building a RoRo sailing vessel. Over the next five years, all aspects of planning, building, and operating a wind-powered vessel, the Orcelle Wind, will be done. Read more…
11 January – Vessel Orders – Accor, the hotel company, will enter the cruise industry with the commissioning of two primary wind vessels – the 722-foot, 120-passenger Orient Express Silenseas.
The company signed a letter of intent for two vessels at Chantiers de l’Atlantique for delivery in early 2026 and early 2027. Read more…
10 January – Webinar Presentation – Our Secretary General delivered a presentation on a SNAME Webinar: Re-Wind not Rewind: 21st Century Wind Propulsion Systems & Decarbonisation Pathway for Shipping.
09 January – Corsica Ferries announced it’s investment into Nantes-based NEOLINE, making it possible to complete the financial round for the construction of the 136-meter-long cargo ship with sailor propulsion. The launch of the project is to be announced in the coming days. Read more…
09 January – AYRO receives EU funding for its participation in the WHISPER energy transition project.
An energy transition project comprised of 14 partners, WHISPER, has been granted 9,2 million EUR in funding from Horizon Europe for a 4-year innovation project. The goal of the project is to develop a solution that can significantly reduce emissions from the long-distance maritime industry, which is responsible for around 2.5% of the world‘s total CO2 emissions. WHISPER aims to demonstrate around 30% fuel savings on a retrofit bulk carrier and more than 15% on a retrofit containership. Read more…
04 January – Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) has completed the installation of the first Seawing, an automated kite system that harnesses wind power, on a Capesize bulk carrier at the end of 2022. Read more…
05 January – International Grain Trade Coalition (IGTC) webinar on Sustainability in the Grains Value Chain featured IWSA SG Presentation on wind propulsion developments.
01 January – Happy New Year to all of our members, supporters, stakeholders and ship owners who are pioneers in the field of wind-assist and primary wind propulsion. To celebrate starting the third year of the ‘Decade of Wind Propulsion’ here are 23 ships for 2023.
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