Webinar on Navigating Regulatory Currents – Wind Assisted Propulsion Systems

Oceanix conduced the latest webinar on wind assisted propulsion system (WAPS) with experts from policy, technology provider and shipowner. The expert panelist:

• Gavin Allwright is the leading advocate for WAPS and Secretary General of International Windship Association
• Makoto Yamaguchi was involved in the development of rigid sails at Mitsui OSK Lines
• Shahroz Khan is the head of R&D at BAR Technolgies
• Satyakumar Gaur is the Environment Manager at The Great Eastern Shipping Co. Ltd.

Summary of my presentation

• Started with the question “Why?” Regulations set out by IMO, EU, USCG mandating reduction in emissions is one driver. The other driver is the need to reduce expenses since fuel cost is 50-60% of operating expense
• Fuel reduction starts with understanding emissions – from its modes (sailing, manoeuvring, port/anchorage/stoppage), source (main engine, auxiliary engine, boiler and other machineries), and contributors (ports/anchorage/stoppage, auxiliary engine and other machinery in sea, weather effects, hull degradation, machinery degradation, and rest as new ship condition), we can decide the way to reduce emissions.
• Lay out the entire decarbonisation pathway. Of this wind is one of the pathway. There are six technologies – soft sail, rigid sail, suction sail, roto sail, towing kite, turbine. The focus is on propulsion as a solution.
• The four leading technologies are roto sail, suction sail, rigid sail, and kite. If we see the list of installed numbers and order book as of Feb 2024, Flettener rotors (roto sail) was the dominant one where as suction sail has emerged as the dominant one. Among the type of vessels bulk carriers, general cargo vessels are most common.
• When we try to do propulsion analysis, we separate engine performance for hull by measuring engine output power. The ROI of typical energy saving device we use ISO19030. Here we take the calm vessel condition and do the analysis. In case of wind solution where performance is better at higher wind condition we need to analysis differently.
• When we do ROI of WASP, we need to factor cost of energy. There are five sources of energy in a vessel – grid in battery, fuel cell, solar, wind, and diesel. Most of wind solutions need some energy input. The cost of electrical energy as input for wind solutions is not same as the cost of propulsion energy saved. This is important to consider while doing analysis.
• When we take a typical vessel without route optimisation and no WASP we may follow the shortest distance (1). When there is route optimisation is introduced without WASP a longer route with lower weather effect might be better (2). When there is WASP and route optimisation, the route is different since favourable use of high winds might give benefit (3). This analysis is important.