With more stringent emission regulations and increasing fuel costs, the shipping industry is actively looking for viable alternative green ship technologies to help meet these growing demands. One idea is to better harness wind power to help power ships, reduce emissions and save fuel.

Experts believe that fuel savings of up to 50% are achievable, especially on more “windy” routes. Two such technologies are Flettner Rotors and Towing Kites. Flettner Rotors and Towing Kites may provide the greener future we are all striving for, while also combatting high oil prices.

Flettner Rotors and Towing Kites utilize the power of the wind, and may provide additional propulsion to ships with the correct weather conditions. Flettner Rotors largely depend on beam winds to drive a “Magnus Force”, while Towing Kites largely depend on stern winds for additional thrust.

We have analyzed over 15 major ocean routes across the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans to help you determine which tech innovation better suits your fleet! Some of the main contributing factors in determining the best wind propulsion system include wind direction and speed, which are largely driven by climatological info, and vessel course heading. Additional factors include the vessel speed and vessel type.  Some major ocean routes are expected to see significant benefits from the Towing Kite, whilst other routes are expected to experience major benefits from the Flettner Rotor, and some routes see benefits from both instrumentations. There are even a few routes where both technologies fail to assist the ship, due to adverse seasonal winds.

To determine which technology is best suited for your fleet, please review our White Paper – Wind Assisted Technologies where we also dig deeper into the science behind our recommendations. If you have any questions or comments about our results, give us a call or email and we will be happy to assist.