At an event hosted by EU-Interreg North Sea Region project ‘WASP: Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion’, industry stakeholders will disclose sea trial results from multiple vessels with installed wind propulsion technologies.
As part of the WASP Project (co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund), several wind technologies were installed on five commercial ships and third-party validations were conducted in order to verify actual fuel savings achieved. The preliminary results of the trials will be shared at the event in Copenhagen on 10 May.
Wind assisted propulsion enables ships to exploit an emission-free energy source that is delivered directly to the ship while it is at sea. This means it will become a financially attractive option as part of the green transition in the shipping industry. To-date, 18 large ships have been equipped with wind assisted propulsion technologies and this number is set to increase in the next few years.
Kare Press-Kristensen, senior advisor Green Transition Denmark, said: “Existing wind propulsion technologies offer free, non-polluting energy which is available to ships at sea without investments in fuel infrastructure. Wind is more efficient than any green fuel will ever be and is non-affected by war and the oil crises.”
Kasper Uithof, Innovation Manager, Netherlands Maritime Technology, said: “After months of preparation and testing we are now able to provide an insight into the results of our wind propulsion installations. We’re looking forward to sharing our experiences with those interested in wind propulsion, as it proves to be one of the most promising contributions towards sustainable shipping.”
Maria Skipper Schwenn, Executive Director, Climate Environment and Security, Danish Shipping, added: “Danish Shipping has set an ambitious goal of climate neutrality by 2050. To succeed, we need to look at all sorts of technologies. One of the methods to help achieve our goal, might be one of the oldest: wind power. It is a free, unlimited, and totally carbon neutral resource. So, if we can reduce fuel consumption just a tiny bit by using wind, it is worth considering – especially when taking the price gap between fossil and green fuels into consideration.”
