AWESOME, a new EU project launched in Brussels, will provide shipowners with verified performance data, practical tools and standardized methods for assessing wind assisted propulsion. Wind-assisted propulsion can cut fuel use and emissions, but shipowners still need reliable data before investing at scale. The new European initiative will help close that gap through full-scale demonstrations, verified data and decision support tools – aiming to reduce uncertainty, lower investment risk and accelerate the use of cost-effective emission reduction solutions in shipping.
Led by Kongsberg Maritime and supported by 14 partners across Europe, the Horizon Europe-funded project brings together industry and research to support the transition to low- and zero-emission shipping. AWESOME (Advanced Wind Energy System Optimisation and Monitoring for Efficiency) tackles technical, operational and regulatory barriers that still limit wider deployment of wind propulsion.
“Wind-assisted propulsion is one of the most attractive pathways to compliant, cost-effective shipping. We believe AWESOME represents a major step forward in scaling this technology”, said Kjerstin Kleyne Braaten, SVP emerging solutions at Kongsberg Maritime.
AWESOME will test how wind propulsion can be integrated with onboard systems, control and automation in real operating conditions. The work will support compliance with frameworks such as FuelEU Maritime and future IMO standards, while helping shipowners reduce fuel consumption before relying on more costly low carbon fuels.
Full‑scale demonstrations at sea
Two full-scale demonstrators will be central to the work: one retrofit and one newbuild. The retrofit case, one of Odfjell’s chemical tankers, will show how wind propulsion can be integrated into existing vessels. The newbuild, Neoliner Origin from Neoline, will demonstrate how the technology can be optimized from the design stage. Neoliner Origin is a 136m ro‑ro cargo vessel equipped with 3,000m² of sail area, designed to reduce fossil‑fuel‑related emissions by up to 80% compared with a conventional vessel of similar size. It will demonstrate how wind‑assisted propulsion can be optimized from the design stage onward.
“Wind-assisted propulsion is already delivering real results for Odfjell,” said Jan Opedal, manager projects at Odfjell. “Through projects like AWESOME, we are building on our long-term efforts to reduce emissions by turning operational experience into knowledge that can be scaled across the industry. We see considerable potential in wind, and initiatives like this are key to unlocking it by improving insight and reducing uncertainty.”
Together, the vessels will provide robust real-world data across vessel types and operating conditions, helping the industry reduce risk and accelerate deployment at scale.
“Europe is currently a global leader in wind-assisted propulsion, added says Jaap Gebraad, secretary general, Waterborne Technology Platform, which will be collaborating closely with the initiative. “AWESOME will help strengthen that position by pooling public and private resources, ensuring large scale deployment. The result can be lower emissions and more economically viable use of sustainable alternative fuels.”
This new collaboration will also support wider industry uptake by improving how performance is measured, documented and recognized. In parallel, the project will generate knowledge relevant to crews, operators and future regulatory development.
AWESOME brings together 15 European partners spanning the full maritime value chain. This broad partnership supports an end-to-end approach, from design and simulation to onboard control, crew training, performance verification and market uptake. The project is supported by ~ €9m (US$10.3m) from Horizon Europe.
- Technology developers and system integrators: Kongsberg Maritime (Coordinator), Syroco, bound4blue, Chantiers de l’Atlantique
- Shipowners and operators: Odfjell, Neoline
- Research partners: SINTEF Ocean, SINTEF Digital, NTUA, MARIN
- Design and engineering: MAURIC
- Classification and verification: DNV
- Center for decarbonization and dissemination: Maritime CleanTech