Review of Wind-Assisted Propulsion Systems in Maritime Transport

Marcin Kolodziejski () and Mariusz Sosnowski
Additional contact information
Marcin Kolodziejski: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Maritime University of Szczecin, ul. Willowa 2, 71-650 Szczecin, Poland
Mariusz Sosnowski: Faculty of Mechatronics and Electrical Engineering, Maritime University of Szczecin, ul. Willowa 2, 71-650 Szczecin, Poland

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-33

Abstract: The maritime industry is going through a technology transition, aiming to have carbon-neutral propulsion systems. A significant trend of orders for ships with alternative propulsion has been observed. A favorable means to meet the decarbonization requirements imposed by IMO (International Maritime Organization) is to operate vessels with sustainable energy. Harvesting wind power and its conversion into ship propulsion are gaining popularity due to emission reductions and expected reductions in fuel consumption. This paper reviews recent studies on wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPSs), the different aspects of using sail applications in the maritime industry, and the types of wind-assisted propulsion systems. The study also presents the latest developments in WAPS systems offered by leading maritime market manufacturers and their applications on existing vessels. The article is based on a literature review (peer-reviewed articles), the information provided by wind propulsion systems manufacturers and internet research.

Keywords: wind-assisted propulsion systems; rotor sails; suction wings; rigid sails; decarbonization; energy harvesting; energy-saving drives; energy conversion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/4/897/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/4/897/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:4:p:897-:d:1590268

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().