According to the International Windship Association (IWSA), the latest installations of wind propulsion technology on large commercial vessels have tipped the amount of cargo that can be transported on vessels that make use of wind as a renewable energy source over the one million dwt milestone.
This milestone comes in the same week that the industry celebrates World Maritime Day and its theme ‘New Technologies for Greener Shipping’. IWSA says that in recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in equipping vessels to harness the power of the wind in what was once romanticised as a historic way to sail cargo across the world’s oceans. IWSA believes thia has become a credible option for modern vessels, fuelled by incoming carbon reduction targets and high fuel prices. IWSA has welcomed an upsurge in the analysis, testing and verification of systems, in addition to the deployment of many demonstrator vessels since 2020.
Currently, 21 large commercial vessels have wind propulsion systems installed onboard representing over 1m dwt of cargo carrying capacity. By the end of this year, IWSA estimates that wind propulsion technology will be installed on around 25 large commercial vessels, representing 1.2m dwt. Based on public announcements and shipyard orders made to-date, IWSA estimates that by the end of 2023, up to 50 large ships will be making use of wind as a renewable energy source with a combined tonnage of over 3m dwt.
In addition to the fleet of large commercial ships sailing with wind propulsion technology installed, 10 small cruise ships currently use traditional soft sail technology representing a further 50,000grt. A growing number of smaller vessels (under 400grt) are thought to be using wind propulsion technology. This number of smaller vessels will likely grow in the next year as more vessels are converted to sail cargo, retrofits on small fishing vessels are undertaken, and a demonstrator vessel is launched in the South Pacific.
IWSA promotes wind power as the only truly emission-free, zero-cost energy source that can be delivered directly to a ship while it is sailing without fuel security or supply threats. The use of this abundant, globally available energy source, partially with wind-assist technology or as the primary energy source for a vessel’s propulsion, can represent a substantial portion of the total energy requirement of a vessel throughout its operational life.
Gavin Allwright, IWSA Secretary General said: “Wind propulsion technologies are proven to save 5%-20% in fuel use and associated emissions when used as wind-assist on motor vessel profiles. The savings potential is even higher for vessels that use primary wind technologies to achieve much higher levels of propulsive energy sourced from wind. This makes wind power a valuable pathway to reducing the emissions of the international shipping industry immediately and over the longer-term. It also offers the potential for enabling a substantial reduction in the carbon intensity of the whole fleet. With 50 wind propulsion system rigs installed to-date on those 21 ships, and an anticipated 100 rigs installed milestone to be passed by the end of 2023, the price of propulsion technology is coming down. Reaching the 100 rigs installed milestone will represent an important market marker for wind propulsion technology in particular. At this point we can expect a sustained reduction in return-on-investment timeframes, especially if fuel prices remain high. It’s easy to see why wind is becoming an increasingly attractive option for ship owners given its positive financial and decarbonisation potential and the fact that this technology basket delivers on compliance issues, today.”
