Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion

Wind-assisted ship propulsion uses wind-catching systems to provide supplementary thrust and reduce the work required from marine engines.

Approaches range from Anemoi rotor sails, which use the Magnus effect on commercial ships such as Maersk Labrea, to rigid aluminum sails integrated with solar panels on Selar Expeditions’ Captain Arctic. These deployments show how the technology is being adapted for both container shipping and expedition cruising, while raising practical questions about vessel design, route performance, energy storage, and the scale of achievable fuel and emissions savings.