Tom Barlow-BrownThe International Windship Association (IWSA) has unveiled a new publication that explores the growing small vessel wind propulsion sector.
The 90-page Small Windships publication includes technical insights, profiles of vessels, historical perspectives, and research resources. It also presents findings from an IWSA survey examining the rise of wind propulsion in small vessels, as well as identifying barriers to further expansion.
According to Gavin Allwright, Secretary General of IWSA: ‘The small vessel sector holds great potential for moving large amounts of cargo and making a significant contribution to both lowering emissions from our trading activities at sea but also reducing land base emissions by getting closer to the farm gate – dinner plate.’
With an increasing number of vessels under 500 GT turning to wind as a primary or assistive energy source, the sector has seen significant growth. According to the publication, over the past year, the fleet of sub-500 GT wind-powered vessels has nearly doubled, highlighting the potential of wind energy in reducing fossil fuel dependence for both domestic and international trade.
Several new wind-powered vessels have launched or are in development, including the Grain de Sail 2 (52m, 350dwt), Juren Ae (48m, 290dwt), and Artemis (81m, 1,000dwt). These ships demonstrate the growing feasibility and relevance of wind energy for smaller commercial operations.
This inaugural edition aims to foster debate and collaboration across the sector, with IWSA planning to publish the Small Windships series annually to keep up with developments in this fast-growing industry.
Steve Woods, assistant editor of the publication said: ‘it is easy to argue that small sail vessels are the ideal platform for showing the power of wind propulsion and the path to rapidly decarbonising transportation the world over.’
The full publication can be read here:
Ian Taylor
