Lloyd’s Register (LR) has approved BAR Technologies’ computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methodology to calculate P-Wind, the amount of power produced by the latter’s WindWings installations.
The classification society’s independent review found BAR’s CFD approach and the resulting force matrix consistent with International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidance (MEPC.1/Circ.896) and International Towing Tank Conference (ITTC) verification standards.
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This enables shipowners to quantify regulatory effects under Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI).
LR assessed BAR’s submission across technical categories, including CFD code specification, boundary conditions, grid independence, validation against experimental data, and the generation of an installation-specific force/wind matrix.
It judged the methodology acceptable for use without requiring full-scale trials. The decision provides a class-reviewed route to determine the propulsive contribution of WindWings systems.
The model can be applied across series of vessels, offering a standardised pathway for future approvals that is intended to reduce lead times and engineering costs for projects seeking regulatory evidence.
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By GlobalDataLR senior client relationship manager Steve Windrim said: “Our review of BAR Technologies’ methodology confirms its robustness against current international references for innovative energy-efficiency technologies.
“Independent reviews such as this give owners and yards the confidence that wind-assist solutions are being quantified to recognised technical standards, supporting safe and effective integration as the sector accelerates towards decarbonisation.”
BAR Technologies’ CFD studies indicated power contributions from WindWings that translate into reductions in engine power under IMO rules. The methodology has been applied to recent installations on large product tankers under construction at Asian shipyards.
For owners and operators, the approval addresses a key evidentiary requirement for demonstrating wind-assist performance within statutory efficiency frameworks.
Future WindWings projects can follow the class-approved model to produce installation-specific force matrices and supporting CFD documentation for submission to class.
BAR Technologies CEO John Cooper said: “This approval from Lloyd’s Register moves the conversation from promise to proof.
“It shows that our modelling delivers decision-grade numbers trusted by class and that owners can book real, verifiable P-Wind gains into their EEDI and EEXI submissions today. It’s another milestone in taking wind propulsion from experimental to essential.”
The approval follows BAR Technologies’ work with global classification societies.
The work covers recent applications on large product tankers currently being built at leading Asian shipyards, creating a repeatable template for future WindWings installations on these and other vessel types to achieve LR approval.
In September this year, Bound4blue received validation from LR for its methodology used to calculate the force matrix of its wind propulsion system.
