Energy is everywhere and everything - the central idea of Albert Einstein's famous e=mc2 equation. 21st century technologies allow us to capture this abundance of energy which underpins new business models based on freely available renewable energy.

Renewable energy significantly improves long-term predictability of operational costs, this, in turn, enables better business planning and can ensure long life assets - such as ships - have longer workable lifetimes. Initial additional capital costs can be recouped over time, assets are decoupled from dependencies on traditional bunker arrangements improving asset's autonomy.

Wind is a proven energy source for the maritime sector. This presentation covers the challenges around articulating the economic benefits of deploying 'free' energy to a conservative shipping sector and reveals some tactics for addressing them.

Gavin Allwright has been the Secretary of the International Windship Association (IWSA) www.wind-ship.org since it was established in 2014, this grouping of maritime wind propulsion companies and projects supported by academia, NGO's and seafarers is working to promote and facilitate the uptake of wind propulsion solutions in commercial shipping. Alongside his work as association secretary, he also leads the policy and finance work streams, requiring regular attendance at IMO, OECD and EU meetings.

 

Gavin has presented at numerous international fora, including as a moderator of panels on alternative maritime propulsion and innovation at MARENAR 2017, GMEC 2016/SMM 2016, the Motorship Propulsion & Emissions conference and the Green Ship Technology conference 2016. He also chaired the opening session at RINA's 2016 Shipping Efficiency conference and the 5th & 6th Natural Propulsion Seminar as part of Blueweek 2016 & 2017. He is currently heading up the team organising the Ambition 1.5C: Global Shipping's Action Plan summit at COP23, an official UNFCCC Climate Partner event in Bonn, Germany http://www.shippingambition1o5c.com/

 

He has worked closely with the Oceania Centre for Sustainable Shipping on the development of a sustainable shipping network in the South Pacific and gained extensive knowledge of the small vessel sector from his work as the Commercial Director for the Greenheart project, a not-for-profit organisation he joined in 2005, designing a zero-emissions, sail/solar electric cargo vessel for least developed regions.

 

Gavin holds a Masters degree in Sustainable Development, specialising in small scale sustainable shipping and logistics in developing countries. He has contributed to numerous studies and projects on alternative propulsion solutions and helped coordinate and contributed extensively to the UN-affiliated IRENA technical brief - Renewable Energy Options in Shipping. He is currently an expert reviewer of the IPCC Special Report on 1.5C Global Warming.

The International Windship Association (IWSA) facilitates and promotes wind propulsion for commercial shipping worldwide and brings together all parties in the development of a wind-ship sector to shape industry and government attitudes and policies. Their mission is to promote the use of wind propulsion in commercial shipping to reduce fuel consumption and decrease climate change related emissions.