DNV releases Recommended Practice for WAPS
Standardised and verifiable data are essential for the comparative assessment of different wind-assisted propulsion system (WAPS) technologies. At Singapore Maritime Week, classification society DNV released a Recommended Practice (RP) as a basis for comparing the potential for different WAPS technologies to generate the efficiency benefits that are claimed by developers when the systems are actually installed aboard working ships at sea.
DNV said that there are now around 50 WAPS in operation, many of which generate significant fuel savings and corresponding emission reductions. This is a positive development, particularly since the marine fuels of the future are likely to become far more expensive and the savings therefore substantially greater.
The classification society’s Recommended Practice proposes an on/off methodology so that systems in operation on board ship can be engaged and disengaged in similar operational and environmental conditions. This will facilitate more accurate performance measurement. With independent third-party verification, shipowners and operators will therefore be able to make more informed decisions on their choice of systems.
Johanna Tranell, WAPS Performance Assessment Lead, said: “At DNV we have been working on WAPS installations for several years and were the first classification society to publish rules and standards to enable their deployment. But for energy efficiency technologies like WAPS to break through to wider deployment, we need the industry to be confident in their effectiveness. The new RP establishes a practical, reliable standard that helps us generate transparent, verifiable data, building trust in the potential of these systems."
