John Cooper is the CEO of BAR Technologies. Image Credit: BAR

Shipping should focus more on technologies that can cut emissions today instead of waiting for future fuels to become widely available, according to wind propulsion firm BAR Technologies.

Responding to a new EY Greece report on shipping's path to net zero, the company said in an emailed statement on Wednesday that uncertainty over alternative fuels, regulation and infrastructure should not delay investment in proven energy-saving technologies.

The report said that shipping’s energy transition to net-zero will be uneven and impacted by factors including alternative marine fuel availability and infrastructure.

BAR Technologies said wind propulsion is already delivering fuel and emissions savings on commercial vessels and should be part of the industry's immediate decarbonisation efforts.

"Shipping needs to stop treating decarbonisation as something that only begins when future fuels arrive or every detail of the IMO's Net-Zero Framework is settled," John Cooper, CEO of BAR Technologies, said.

"The industry cannot allow the absence of perfect policy certainty to become an excuse for inaction. Proven technologies are available now, and owners can act today."

BAR Technologies noted that more than 100 cargo ships are now equipped with wind propulsion systems, citing data from the International Windship Association.

By the end of 2026, the company expects 10 vessels to be operating with 23 of its WindWings wind propulsion installations, delivering combined CO2 savings of around 100 mt/day.

Cooper said the main challenge is no longer the technology itself but making investment more attractive.

"Wind propulsion has already passed the technology test," he said. 

"Affordable finance, alongside charterparty structures that share the benefits fairly, is what will unlock deployment at scale."