Space-efficient wind system targets maritime retrofit bottleneck

Secretary general of the International Windship Association, Gavin Allwright, provided market context, stating "62 large vessels over 400 gt are installed with some form of wind propulsion" with "over 100 orders in the pipeline." Figures that simultaneously denote growing interest – and the size of the prize – given the several thousand vessels in the global commercial fleet.

Attendees probed several critical implementation challenges. Capt Merrit acknowledged integration required substantial vessel modifications including "7.5 tonnes of additional steel under the focal depth" and relocation of navigational equipment.

Mr Allwright suggested the supply chain resembles that of wind turbines, noting, "The actual management is very doable with an existing supply chain in the UK and Europe." He identified regulatory frameworks as a greater barrier, emphasising current policies "look at ships above 5,000 gt," potentially disadvantaging smaller vessel applications where retrofit opportunities may be more numerous.

When questioned on what differentiates AirWing from established competitors, Mr Harrop referenced superior thrust-to-footprint ratio allowing installation on "a vessel very constrained from a deck layout perspective."

Addressing certification, Bureau Veritas’ Yannis Calogeras said, "There is huge innovation going on very rapidly, and we often don’t have a clear regulatory framework and approach to fall back on." He explained as a classification society, Bureau Veritas must maintain safety standards while facilitating innovation, noting classification societies possess "knowledge, experience, tools, procedures and processes that can overcome the challenges of sometimes dealing with new technology when not having a purely defined approach." Mr Calogeras also emphasised the importance of "true collaboration" across the industry, stating, "The projects that are moving forward are those where there is collaboration" and stakeholders are "sharing the risks."

Looking forward, Mr Harrop predicted wind propulsion systems would "become standard technology," while Mr Allwright forecast market expansion, "We’re doubling every year, and that will be exponential. Probably 2026 is when we really hit that S-curve."

The UK maritime sector appears well-positioned in this developing market. Mr Allwright highlighted the UK as "one of the few hotbeds of innovation and development" with "a number of companies developing exciting technology." The Department for Transport’s UK SHORE programme has reportedly leveraged "£100M in private investment" according to the organisation’s head of maritime environment energy and sustainability strategy, Alexandra Beaumont.

As GT Wings moves from demonstration to commercialisation, Mr Thompson emphasised the importance of "reliability and performance" while scaling operations and predicted with three Atlantic crossings completed and comprehensive operational data being independently verified, order announcements and new product announcements can be expected.

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