Industry Experts Share Operational Insights into Wind-Assisted Propulsion Systems (WAPS) x

The industry seminar 'Latest Trends and Practical Operation of Wind-Assisted Propulsion Systems' (the 'Seminar') was held on October 23, sponsored by four major shipping companies. As the shipping sector strives to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Wind-Assisted Propulsion Systems (WAPS) have gained traction. These systems use wind power to assist ship propulsion, potentially lowering fuel usage and emissions.

With more installations in the works, the focus shifted to real-world experience and performance evaluation. The Seminar attracted 160 delegates, including representatives from shipping firms, shipbuilders, marine equipment manufacturers, and other entities. The program kicked off with a presentation by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on the trends in carbon neutrality within the maritime industry.

Following this, an overview of international developments in wind propulsion was provided by the International Windship Association. Speakers from various shipping companies shared their experiences with WAPS installation and operation. Finally, a panel discussion featuring five industry experts delved into the operational hurdles, methods for performance assessment, and the future outlook for WAPS.

ClassNK and its four sponsoring companies are committed to advancing maritime decarbonization through knowledge exchange and technical validation to facilitate the secure and effective deployment and operation of WAPS. The seminar covered topics such as carbon neutrality trends in the maritime sector, the scaling of wind propulsion, K-Line's Seawing project, Mitsui O.S.K.

Lines' Wind Challenger project, NYK's progress on WAPS, and ClassNK's activities related to WAPS. The panel discussion was moderated by Makoto Yamaguchi, and panelists included Tatsuya Hayashi, Koji Tsumuraya, Tetsushi Matsuoka, Tomoki Inoue, and Gavin Allwright.