The rise of the wind ships

Commercial shipping - for many years resistant to the low carbon revolution sweeping other areas of transportation - is changing fast.

Faced with a combination of rising fuel prices and an industry-wide strategy to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 per cent over the next 30 years, the sector  (thought to be responsible for around 2.5 per cent of global GHG emissions) is innovating as never before in an effort to boost fuel efficiency and reduce its environmental impact.

From the development of novel hybrid electric propulsion systems to AI driven improvements in operational efficiency, no stone is being left unturned in the quest to slash emissions. But arguably some of the most intriguing advances are being made in a field that harks back to the earliest days of seafaring: wind propulsion.

Gavin Allwright - International Windships Association (IWSA)

Whilst no-one’s quite proposing a return to the great age of sail - where world trade was utterly reliant on the power of the wind - many believe that a new generation of wind propulsion systems - an eclectic mix of innovative sails, strange deck mounted wings, kites and weird hull designs - could play a key role in the sector’s future.