NAPA on why wind-assisted ships need proof of savings, not just a contract

A contract for sharing savings, however, only works if both parties can agree on what the savings were. That is where wind-assisted shipping still has a gap.

Wind propulsion has moved well past the trial stage. According to the International Windship Association, more than 100 commercial ships now sail with wind propulsion fitted, totalling over six million deadweight tonnes, and around 100 more are on order. Retrofits are typically saving between 5% – 20% of fuel in service, with the variation dependent on trade route, prevailing winds and the size of the sails relative to the ship’s installed power. That spread is the commercial problem in a single figure: on any given voyage, how much of the saving came from the sails, and how much from good weather or a well-chosen route?

Those numbers matter more each year as CII, FuelEU Maritime and the EU ETS raise the bar on efficiency and emissions. FuelEU Maritime already rewards wind directly, applying a multiplier to a vessel’s GHG intensity that is banded according to available effective wind power relative to propulsion power. The IMO Net-Zero Framework, which is still under discussion at the time of writing, would pair a fuel standard with emissions pricing and could have a similar impact worldwide. Knowing how much a WAPS contributes to a ship’s emissions profile is therefore part of knowing a fleet’s compliance exposure.

This story was originally published by Hellenic Shipping News. Read the full story at Hellenic Shipping News →