Windassist

Sailcargo, sailtraining and wind-assisted ship propulsion

Windassist

Sailcargo, sailtraining and wind-assisted ship propulsion

WASP

Legal recognition of WASP for sustainable shipping

In France, legal recognition of wind support as a means to decarbonise shipping is underway. A recent proposal to this effect has now been submitted to the French National Assembly.

The proposal is submitted by 60 MPs from different political groups. It has eight articles and provides a legal definition of sailing ships for merchant shipping, restores the exemption from social charges for these ships, modifies the green supplementary depreciation scheme and allocates part of the revenue from the European carbon market for shipping to finance the decarbonisation of maritime transport, as discussed at the last Interministerial Commission for the Sea.
The proposal also integrates wind-powered vessels into the scope of energy certificates and introduces a specific excise regime for products transported under sail to encourage the agricultural and overseas sectors to use this mode of transport.

Four focal points

The bill, which now enters the next stage to be passed as a law and is supported by dozens of maritime stakeholders, proposes the following:

  • officially recognise wind propulsion as a strategic tool in the maritime transition;
  • provide fiscal certainty for investments in wind-powered vessels;
  • mobilise funding from the carbon market and energy-saving certificates;
  • provide a clear and long-term vision for the French wind propulsion sector.

The pact, initially signed in the last days of March 2024, aims to promote and accelerate the production and application of wind propulsion. The initiative aims to facilitate the industrial implementation of wind propulsion systems in maritime transport, with the goal of capturing 30% of the global market share with WAPS technologies produced in France.
The proposal was signed on behalf of the government at Chantiers de l’Atlantique by Roland Lescure, Secretary of State for Industry and Energy, and Hervé Berville, Secretary of State for the Sea and Biodiversity.

Cornerstone of policy

As is well known, France’s main goal with this pact is to reduce the CO2 impact of logistics flows, including the maritime sector. As an immediately available route to climate neutrality, wind power (or wind propulsion) is recognised as an “irreplaceable” link in the country’s decarbonisation chain, allowing emission reductions of 5% to 80%.
Therefore, maritime stakeholders have welcomed France’s current course on wind energy with open arms and consider the wind propulsion pact a “cornerstone” of the policy.

However, those responsible behind the WISAMO Michelin project and the Association Wind Ship have stressed that certain steps need to be taken to put the law into practice, the most important of which is urgent action to urge government officials and MPs to adopt the law.

According to the International Wind Ships Association, France saw a huge increase in the use of WAPS in 2024 alone, with a fleet of 11 large freighters and four newbuildings added to the fleet by the end of the year. At that time, it was highlighted that a total of 15 ships with wind propulsion systems were under construction.

Sources: offshore-energy.biz, Meretmaritime.
The original petition can be read here.
Image: Windship.

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