Luke McEwen is Technical Director at Anemoi. Image Credit: Anemoi

A new technical paper from wind propulsion firm Anemoi Marine Technologies and Lloyd's Register (LR) calls for greater alignment in how wind-assisted propulsion system (WAPS) performance is verified.

Industry currently uses several different approaches to measure fuel savings from wind propulsion technologies, making it difficult for shipowners to compare results and assess the business case for installation, Anemoi said in an email statement on Wednesday.

The paper examines how Anemoi’s in-service performance and forecasting model calibration method, previously verified by classification society LR, fits alongside existing frameworks from the International Towing Tank Conference (ITTC) and recommended practices from classification society DNV.

According to the research, the three methods address different stages of verification.

ITTC guidelines focus on short-term sea trial verification, while DNV’s approach evaluates long-term in-service performance.

Anemoi’s methodology links operational vessel data with performance models to produce more reliable fuel-saving predictions.

Wind propulsion systems harness wind energy to supplement engine power and reduce overall bunker fuel consumption, while their suitability for retrofitting onto existing vessels has contributed to growing interest among shipowners.

“Accurate measurement and prediction of the real savings made by vessels using WAPS is essential for giving confidence to ship owners and operators who want to harness wind energy in order to reduce environmental impact and fuel costs," Luke McEwen, Technical Director at Anemoi, said.