New white paper calls for aligned wind propulsion verification standards

Anemoi Marine Technologies Ltd and Lloyd’s Register have published a new paper calling for closer alignment between methodologies used to verify the performance of wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS).

The “Performance Verification Methodologies for Vessels with Wind-Assisted Propulsion” white paper demonstrates how complementary frameworks can be combined to improve consistency, transparency and confidence across the maritime sector.

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Bridging short-term trials and long-term in-service assessment

The study builds on LR’s 2025 verification of Anemoi’s in-service performance and forecasting model calibration methodology. It evaluates how this approach aligns with the International Towing Tank Conference (ITTC) sea trial guidelines and DNV’s recommended practice for in-service testing.

While ITTC focuses on short-term validation under controlled conditions and DNV provides long-term operational assessment, Anemoi’s method bridges the gap by linking real-world vessel data to robust fuel-saving predictions.

Key finding

This paper compared three approaches for verifying WAPS performance: ANEMOI, ITTC guidelines, and DNV practices. While all use ON/OFF comparisons, they differ in scope, uncertainty treatment, and application. ITTC provides controlled, short-term verification, DNV ensures rigorous long-term assessment, and ANEMOI combines in-service measurements with modeling for actionable fuel-saving predictions.

Accurate measurement and prediction of the real savings made by vessels using WAPS is essential for giving confidence to ship owners and operators who want to harness wind energy in order to reduce environmental impact and fuel costs.

… explained Luke McEwen, Technical Director, Anemoi Marine Technologies Ltd

The paper has concluded that future standardization would benefit from unifying controlled verification principles, explicit uncertainty treatment, and validated performance prediction. Such an approach would improve comparability, strengthen confidence in reported savings, and support wider adoption of WAPS.

Verification of performance assessment methodologies is a core part of LR’s mission to assure both safety and efficiency standards for maritime stakeholders—and particularly important in emerging sectors where processes have yet to be fully standardized

… said Dr Santiago Suarez de la Fuente, Ship Performance Manager, Lloyd’s Register Advisory

Key recommendations

The white paper has also provided a series of recommendations. Some of these include:

Verify WAPS performance with in-service testing under real-world conditions; use ITTC trials for quick, controlled checks.
Combine verification with model-based prediction for decisions beyond tested conditions; ensure the approach is clear, documented, and auditable.
Choose performance metrics that match the intended use; force-based metrics are preferred for calibration and extrapolation.
When using power- or energy-based metrics, define how ON/OFF differences, speed-power curves, and propulsive efficiency changes are handled.
Correct and normalize data for environmental variability; check controlled conditions, correct baseline drift, and standardize wind measurements.
Report uncertainty transparently for regulatory, third-party, or contractual purposes.
Use model-based approaches for long-term or commercial decisions to reduce testing and maximize fuel savings.