Bureau Veritas boards EU-backed WAPS project to ‘fast track’ low-emission shipping

July 28, 2025, by Sara Kosmajac

French classification society Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) and technical advisory provider Bureau Veritas Solutions Marine & Offshore (BVS) have joined the Wind for Shipping (W4S) research and development initiative, focused on accelerating the transition toward low-emission shipping.

Launched in January 2025 and funded by the Interreg North-West Europe program, Wind for Shipping is expected to run through July 2028 and concentrate on the engineering, scaling, and adoption of wind-assisted propulsion solutions (WAPS), specifically rotorsails and wingsails.

These solutions are estimated to slash fuel consumption by an estimated 20% to 40%, and, thus, greatly cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from commercial vessels.

As part of this endeavor, BVS is set to supply CFD and weather routing calculations, in addition to project-customized on-board measurement data. Through hydrostructure and energy efficiency simulations, BV is to craft modeling methodologies to examine the intrinsic performance of WAPS and their effect on vessels.

Representatives from BV further shared that the company will support the investigation of composite manufacturing processes to allow for large-scale production of wind propulsion systems.

Per Bureau Veritas, the project has gathered twelve partners in total so far, encompassing shipyards, maritime transport companies, research institutes and regional authorities from across the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France. As disclosed, the project’s total budget is €5.7 million, of which €3.4 million is co-financed by the European Union.

The initiative is expected to push Europe’s climate goals forward by tackling some of the biggest hurdles holding back the widespread use of wind-assisted propulsion in shipping.

As explained, the overarching focus will be to drive down production costs, enhance manufacturing methods, and reinforce the entire value chain, from design and production to installation and operation at sea. At the same time, the project reportedly aims to energize regional maritime innovation by fostering collaboration among coastal regions.

In doing so, Wind for Shipping could carry the potential to ‘cement’ Europe’s place as one of the leading hubs for green shipping, officials from Bureau Veritas have noted.

“Upscaling rotors and sails in both size and number marks a decisive step toward making wind-assisted ship propulsion economically viable. By combining technical innovation with scalable solutions, we aim to accelerate the green transition in maritime transport and make wind a central force in sustainable shipping,” Robbert van Hasselt, Wind for Shipping’s project leader, underscored.

Wind propulsion up close

Maritime stakeholders have increasingly set their sights on wind-powered systems due to their numerous benefits, concerning fuel consumption, emission reduction, and regulatory compliance, among other factors.

Last year, in particular, the application of WAPS soared, with 54 large ships in operation by the end of 2024 and seven more designated as wind-ready. The French national fleet consisted of eleven large cargo ships, with four new wind-powered vessels added to the roster. At the time, a total of 15 units were under construction.

In January 2025, the International Windship Association (IWSA) revealed that there were also four primary wind vessels, 80 units in the orderbook and 30-40 more in the pipeline for 2026 and 2027.

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More recently, namely in April, the French government, along with a number of stakeholders, signed a ‘landmark’ wind propulsion pact, which was, by June, endorsed and signed by over 50 parties aiming to have the pact passed as law.

As elaborated, the all-embracing goal of this bill is to pave the way for the industrial-scale implementation of wind-powered solutions in shipping and capturing 30% of the global market share using made-in-France WAPS.