- Standardising verification of fuel savings and scaling-up equipment supply chains will accelerate WAPS take up, according to LR report.
- The report points to the need for a wider base of shipyards with installation capabilities to meet expected demand, with only around 16 yards to date having carried out WAPS retrofits.
The application of wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPSs) across a variety of vessel types is nearing a “tipping point” with deployment likely to increase rapidly, according to a new study from Lloyd’s Register.
Wind-assisted ship propulsion close to tipping point
The British classification society is warning however that the lack of standardisation for verifying fuel savings and concerns about equipment availability need to be addressed.
With the industry close to achieving 100 installations and the orderbook reflecting the diversity of vessel types employing WAPSs, along with increasingly substantial deployments as technologies move beyond prototype and pilot phases, the absence of a standard for verifying potential fuel savings is creating uncertainty for operators looking to select solutions, the authors of the 43-page report maintain.
With wind propulsion deployment likely to increase rapidly, driven by growing shipyard and operator familiarity with solutions, scaling up the supply chain to meet expected demand is a potential challenge, LR stated.
The report also points to the need for a wider base of shipyards with installation capabilities to meet expected demand, with only around 16 yards to date having carried out wind-related retrofits.
LR data shows there were 29 wind tech installations between 2018 and 2023 and 72 in the orderbook.
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Source: Lloyd’s Register
