Smart Green Shipping Successfully Trials Wind-Assisted Propulsion System on MV Pacific Grebe

UK systems design house Smart Green Shipping (SGS) has released the results of recent sea trials of its wind-assisted propulsion system (WAPS), conducted in late 2024 aboard the MV Pacific Grebe, a nuclear waste carrier.

The sea trials were delivered as part of the Winds of Change project, supported by the UK Government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 3 (CMDC3).

Despite the technical challenges involved with installation on such a specialized vessel, the SGS team successfully installed the FastRig system dockside via its streamlined easy-on/easy-off installation process, carried out intensive sea trials, and then rapidly uninstalled the system – on budget and within eight weeks.

“Our recent sea trials have demonstrated the FastRig’s ability to address key market concerns, such as time away from commercial operations, impact on vessel structure and operational safety (particularly visibility), and additional energy consumption to power WAPs,” Diane Gilpin, CEO at Smart Green Shipping, said.

“Our customers, collaborators, and investors now have clear evidence that FastRig’s lightweight, stowable design reduces the need for extensive deck reinforcement and eliminates reliance on active fans or rotors. This has the added benefit of minimising energy use onboard while enabling time-efficient installations and removals quayside or in alignment with planned drydock schedules…”

In an industry first, SGS chartered its own vessel to conduct trials in full accordance with scientifically rigorous International Towing Tank Conference (ITTC) protocols. This approach ensured complete, unrestricted access to operational data — allowing for a holistic assessment of vessel performance and overall impact, rather than isolating the performance of FastRig alone.

This facilitated independent verification of the accuracy of SGS’ performance modelling tool, FastRoute, by the University of Southampton and Houlder, a UK-based clean technology consultancy for marine and offshore environments, confirming the FastRig’s ability to deliver fuel savings of up to 40% per annum.

The FastRig is said to have a small deck footprint, which minimizes impact on deck space for cargo or operations. Its automated operations make it intuitive to use. Fully stowable on deck and with a radar that independently addresses loss of visibility, the FastRig ensures the safety of operations when in port as well as at sea in high or low winds. When combined with FastRoute’s route optimization tool, fuel and emission savings can rise to a factor of 1.5, according to Smart Green Shipping.

Among SGS’ sponsors is Drax Group, one of the world’s largest producers and users of sustainably sourced biomass for renewable energy generation.

In October 2024, Drax and SGS united efforts to develop and put into use the wind-assisted FastRig technology with the aim of contributing to the decarbonization of the shipping sector in the UK. Drax set aside £1 million (circa $1.35 million) for this initiative, matched by government funding from the UK’s CMDC grant.

“Sustainability advances most rapidly when the market has access to scalable, affordable and futureproof solutions enabling reduced emissions and regulatory compliance. Wind as an energy source is freely available, renewable, and — with green technology providers like Smart Green Shipping — capable of supporting shipping with its goal of Net Zero, while empowering cargo owners to reduce Scope 3 emissions in their own supply chains,” Mark Gibbens, Head of Logistics at Drax, commented.

With FastRig’s benefits proven in real-world maritime conditions, SGS has advanced to commercial deployment. As informed, the team is actively collaborating with industry partners to scale wind propulsion across global fleets.