Wind-assisted ship propulsion nears tipping point for rapid deployment
The application of wind-assisted ship propulsion (WASP) is nearing the tipping point for rapid adoption. However, Lloyd’s Register’s new report “Applying wind-assisted propulsion to ships” still sees some potential roadblocks ahead.
With the industry approaching 100 installations and the order book reflecting the diversity of ship types using WASP, along with increasingly large-scale deployments as technologies move beyond the prototype and pilot phase, the lack of a standard for verifying potential fuel savings creates uncertainty for operators looking to select solutions.
Scaling up the supply chain
With WASP use likely to grow rapidly as shipyards and operators become more familiar with the solutions, a potential challenge is to scale up the supply chain to meet expected demand. With several suppliers still supplying few units, but with more suppliers entering the market in the near future, ship owners and operators need to be confident that WASP suppliers can remain competitive and supply more and more units without jeopardising their projects’ schedules.
Retrofits
The report also points to the need for a broader base of shipyards with installation capabilities to meet expected demand, as only about 16 yards have so far carried out WASP retrofits. While installations are not impractically complex, they are best done over several periods, so project planning is an important consideration.
Coordinating installations with scheduled maintenance and component lead times, while working out the best time to install, ensure regulatory compliance and minimise carbon costs, can be challenging, the report said.
Greater confidence in efficiency
Dr Santiago Suarez de la Fuente, Ship Performance manager at Lloyd’s Register (LR), said: “Wind-assisted propulsion systems are increasingly being used by ship operators to reduce fuel consumption, comply with energy efficiency regulations and minimise exposure to carbon costs.” With 29 installations between 2018-2023 and 72 in the order book, LR’s new research report shows increasing confidence in the available solutions.
Perfect storm looming
“A perfect storm is brewing when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in shipping”, adds Gavin Allwright, secretary of the International Windship Association. “New regulations, pricing challenges for existing and new fuels and increasing pressure from cargo owners to reduce scope 3 emissions. This encourages the use of wind propulsion technologies, both wind-assisted and primary wind, retrofit and new build. However, these systems need to be robust, safe and validated to build market confidence and lay the foundation for scaling them up across the fleet.”
LR WASP report.
The report “Applying wind-assisted propulsion to ships” brings together technological insights from LR and industry experts. The report includes an in-depth analysis of the current market, cost and compliance factors, regulatory issues and technical challenges.
LR has developed the first freely available online calculator for fuel savings with Flettner rotors and has conducted numerous feasibility studies, technical studies and performance validations on behalf of ship owners and operators, as well as numerous principle approvals for WASP solutions.
Applying wind-assisted propulsion to ships is the latest report under LR’s Retrofit Research Programme, following the Engine Retrofit Report, which provides insights to support ship owners and operators in applying clean fuels and energy-efficient solutions to existing vessels.
Read this article by Mariska Buitendijk in SWZ|Maritime.
LLoyds Register’s “Applying-wind-assisted-propulsion-to-ships” report can be found here.
Windassist sponsor