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

ClassNK organized a seminar on October 23 to explore the latest trends and practical operation of Wind-Assisted Propulsion Systems (WAPS). This seminar was sponsored by several major shipping companies including K-Line, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), MOL Techno-Trade, and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK). As the maritime industry seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, WAPS are gaining importance due to their ability to harness wind power and supplement ship propulsion, thereby decreasing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

The seminar aimed to provide insights into the operational experience and performance evaluation of these systems, which are becoming more prevalent in the shipping industry.

The seminar drew a total of 160 participants from various sectors such as shipping companies, shipbuilders, marine equipment manufacturers, and other organizations. It began with a presentation by Mr. Kenji Takahashi, Director of the Ocean and Environment Policy Division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, discussing carbon neutrality trends in the maritime sector.

The program then featured an overview of international developments in wind propulsion given by Mr. Gavin Allwright, the Secretary General of the International Windship Association. Following this, several presentations highlighted the experiences of different shipping companies in the adoption and operation of WAPS. These included an overview of K-Line's Wind-Assisted Propulsion Initiative, the Seawing Project, and the Wind Challenger Project presented by Mr. Koji Tsumuraya, Manager of the Seawing Team at Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha.

Additionally, Mr. Tetsushi Matsuoka, Project Manager of the Wind Challenger Deployment Project Team at Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and Mr. Tomoki Inoue, Team Leader of the Green Technology Team at NYK, shared insights into NYK's progress on WAPS.

The seminar also included a ClassNK Activities segment, where Mr. Chishiro Funada from the Technical Department at ClassNK discussed the company’s involvement in WAPS. A panel discussion, moderated by Mr. Makoto Yamaguchi, Senior Executive Fellow at MOL Maritex Co., Ltd., brought together five industry experts to explore the operational challenges, approaches to performance evaluation, and the future outlook for WAPS.

The panelists comprised Mr. Tatsuya Hayashi, Manager of the Technical Solution Department at ClassNK; Mr. Koji Tsumuraya, Manager of the Seawing Team at Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha; Mr. Tetsushi Matsuoka, Project Manager of the Wind Challenger Deployment Project Team at Mitsui O.S.K. Lines; Mr. Tomoki Inoue, Team Leader of the Green Technology Team at NYK; and Mr. Gavin Allwright, Secretary General of the International Windship Association.