Generated image of fleet of sail powered cargo vessels all with TOWT written across their sails.

The International Windship Association (IWSA) says it is starting to see small fleet orders being made by shipowners, not only single ship deployments. Which means the industry has a growing movement back towards using the renewable energy source that once powered the majority of the maritime fleet until the late 19th century.

By the end of July this year there were forty-five vessels with wind propulsion technology installed on board in addition to ten wind-ready vessels, indicating a three-fold increase in installations over the previous 12-month period, says IWSA. These are complemented by ten small, traditionally rigged cruise vessels and dozens of small sail cargo and fisheries vessels. Plus, these developments send a clear signal that a far more varied collection of market stakeholders are showing interest in wind propulsion technology.

The uptick in wind-powered vessels hitting the water has been driven by the performance of wind propulsion technology strengthening in recent years coupled with installation costs and ROI shrinking as the number of installations increases with fossil fuel and alternative fuel prices remaining high.

“So far this year, we have witnessed new project announcements, order confirmations, and installation celebrations almost every week,” says IWSA secretary general, Gavin Allwright. “This is a sector of technology development and renewable energy use that is clearly embarking on a voyage propelled by the prevailing winds rather than one still being buffeted by headwinds.”

IWSA is a member driven, not-for-profit association made up of wind propulsion technology suppliers and ship development projects, shipping lines, shipbuilders, designers, naval architects, engineers, academics, NGOs, and more.

Thirty-seven IWSA members will be exhibiting at the Shipbuilding, Machinery and Marine Technology Fair in Hamburg between 3- 6 September 2024.

IWSA says there will be a vast number of wind propulsion technologies and projects on display and has produced an ‘unofficial’ Wind Propulsion Route for attendees to follow.

Main image, courtesy of Piriou, illustrates a fleet of TOWT (TransOceanic Wind Transport) ships. The company is currently seeking funding to help develop its cargo sailing ships. It says ‘offshore wind is abundant, reliable and predictable, renewable and free, and sailing is the means of transforming this propulsive energy to transport large quantities of goods over long distances.’ After 10 years of experimentation onboard existing ships, on transatlantic and European routes to transport non-perishable organic, natural or fair trade products, TOWT is transitioning to an industrial scale.

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