IMO has formally confirmed that the International Windship Association (IWSA) has been granted full consultative status at the regulatory body.
IWSA said that this will help bring wind-assist and primary wind propulsion issues to the fore as the wind technology segment continues to grow.
At the thirty-second regular session, the IMO Assembly endorsed the decision of the thirty-fourth extraordinary session of the IMO Council to grant consultative status to the International Windship Association (IWSA). We look forward to a close working relationship between our two organizations
states Frederick J. Kenney, Director, IMO Legal Affairs and External Relations Division
In addition, Gavin Allwright, IWSA Secretary General, commented that there is plenty of work to be done to reach the goals of a safe, clean and prosperous maritime transport sector.
IWSA also acknowledges that “this status comes with a level of responsibility to keep the IMO and the flag states up-to-date with key developments in this specialist technology sector.”
The IWSA has already been contributing to IMO programs over the past three years through a seat on the Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
The most recent MEPC 77 also saw amendments to the assessment of wind propulsion with the adoption of the circular 896, ‘Guidance on Treatment of Innovative Energy Efficiency Technologies for Calculation and Verification of the Attained EEDI and EEXI’ backed by Comoros, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, Netherlands and RINA
However, as Mr. Allwright continues:
Currently, we have more large commercial vessels in operation using wind propulsion systems than all zero-emission fuel options combined and the signs are there for this to scale strongly in the coming years and yet there is a distinct lack of integration of direct wind propulsion at the heart of our industry’s efforts to decarbonise
