The International Wind Ship Association (IWSA) has submitted a proposal urging the IMO to ensure consistent and equitable treatment of wind propulsion within the Net-Zero Framework.
The IWSA submission highlights the need for consistent treatment of wind propulsion within the IMO Net-Zero Framework. Currently, the calculation of the attained GFI (Greenhouse Fuel Index) overestimates the value of fossil and alternative fuels by counting their calorific content before conversion losses.
In contrast, wind propulsion delivers energy directly to ships without these efficiency losses, yet is undervalued in the formula. IWSA proposes methods to correct this imbalance, as outlined in earlier submissions, and calls for further refinement and guidelines to ensure fair inclusion of wind propulsion technologies.The document also emphasizes that wind propulsion should receive equal recognition within the IMO Net-Zero Fund reward mechanism. Unlike alternative fuels, wind energy receives no significant out-of-sector subsidies, has no externalized environmental costs, and provides multiple co-benefits, including reductions in black carbon, particulate matter, underwater noise, and accident risks.
Wind propulsion can also be scaled quickly (over 70 ships are already in operation, with more than 100 on order) making it a near-term solution aligned with IMO’s urgent decarbonization targets.
Reward allocation must take into account factors such as deployment speed, scaling costs, co-benefits, opportunity costs of diverting renewable electricity into e-fuel production, and the contribution of primary wind ships.
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In addition, voyage optimization, including AI-enhanced routing, offers further opportunities to cut energy use, yet these savings are not currently factored into the IMO framework. When combined with wind propulsion, optimization and wind-routing can significantly amplify the amount of zero-emission energy harvested, creating a multiplier effect.
Failure to adjust reward structures risks undervaluing wind, disincentivizing its uptake, and skewing investment toward heavily subsidized fuel pathways, even when they deliver less effective decarbonization outcomes.
IWSA therefore urges the Working Group to acknowledge and integrate these considerations so that direct wind energy is treated equitably within the IMO Net-Zero Framework.
