July 24, 2025
Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) and Bureau Veritas Solutions Marine & Offshore (BVS) announced their participation in Wind for Shipping (W4S), a European research and development initiative focused on wind propulsion technologies.
The initiative, funded by the Interreg North-West Europe programme, was launched in January 2025 and will be running through July 2028 with the aim to bring together twelve partners — including shipyards, shipping companies, research institutions, and regional authorities — from across the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and France, with the shared goal of accelerating the maritime sector’s transition toward low-emission shipping.
Wind for Shipping focuses on the development, scaling, and adoption of wind propulsion technologies, specifically rotorsails and wingsails. These systems harness wind power and have the potential to reduce fuel consumption by an estimated 20% to 40%, significantly cutting greenhouse gas emissions from commercial vessels. The project’s total budget is €5.7 million, of which €3.4 million is co-financed by the European Union.
As stated, BV and BVS will bring to the project their extensive technical expertise in performance assessment. Specifically, BVS will provide CFD and weather routing calculations as well as project customized on-board measurement data.
Furthermore, BV, through hydrostructure and energy efficiency simulations, will develop modeling methodologies to evaluate the intrinsic performance of wind propulsion technologies and their effect on the performance of the vessel.
By contributing to Wind for Shipping, we reinforce our commitment to the maritime energy transition and to enabling the safe, effective deployment of sustainable technologies across the industry. This collaboration is another example of how Bureau Veritas is actively supporting innovation while upholding the highest standards of safety, reliability, and environmental stewardship.
….said Matthieu de Tugny, Executive Vice President, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore.
BV will also support the project’s exploration of composite manufacturing processes to enable large-scale production of wind propulsion systems, a crucial step in making these solutions viable for widespread commercial use.
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.
…said Robbert van Hasselt, Project Leader, Wind for Shipping.
