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Wind propulsionScaling, standards, and sailingtence, economic value, and policy. The wind-propulsion systems already firmly established in the market have demonstrated the robust and reliable nature of wind solutions, generating a growing body of data and operational experience across the sector. Throughout the supply chain, there is also an expanding base of knowledge and competency %u2014 from design and material science to production, and from installation and sea-trialling to operations.The economics of wind power have also strengthened over the past two years, especially when full fuel costs, life-cycle emissions, and policy compliance are factored in. Combining these factors with the benefits of diversifying energy supply by adding a zero-emission, zerocost energy source that is available globally and supported by increasingly predictable forecasts in a time of uncertainty, fuel price volatility and longer shipping routes to avoid conflict areas, it becomes an attractive pathway to lower emissions, but also lower OpEx.This accelerated growth in the number of demonstrators over the last two years led the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in June last year to task the Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC 12) with developing a work plan for interim safety guidelines for ships equipped with wind-propulsion systems. SDC 12 delivered that workplan in January, with a headline deadline of approving the guidelines at MSC 116 in 2029.The SDC 12%u2019s work on these interim safety guidelines will primarily involve collating, processing, and standardising the substantial body of work underway in the wind-propulsion sector over the last couple of years. The SDC 12 work plan highlights two key documents on which the initial work will be based: the MEPC81, INF.39 white paper, submitted by Comoros, France, Solomon Islands, and the International Windship Association (IWSA), and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) report: Potential of wind-assisted propulsion for shipping, which includes a gap analysis of the technical and safety considerations associated mainly with %u2018wind-assist%u2019 technologies rather than %u2018primary wind%u2019 designs.The Maritime Safety Committee noted that, %u201c%u2026Overall, the studies did not identify any major risk that cannot be resolved%u201d.It is clear that while wind-propulsion systems, like any emerging technology, carry some degree of uncertainty or %u2018risk%u2019, it is important to recognise that wind propulsion itself is not %u2018new%u2019. We already have a wealth of knowledge about the energy source itself and how wind power can interact and affect ship operations. The challenge today lies in applying this knowledge to the wide variety of modern ship types.This move towards standard approaches to safety, as well as in other areas, such as technology performance verification and training, is an important and timely development. It acknowledges that wind propulsion is not a single technology but a basket of solutions that harness the wind in different ways. Each of the five main types of systems, i.e., rigid sails, rotor sails, suction sails, soft sails, and by Gavin Allwright, Secretary General of the International Windship Association (IWSA)WAPSThe business case for wind continues to strengthen with the growth of wind-propulsion technology options in the market, declining unit costs, increasing competition, and shorter lead times for some providers as they invest in production capacity in both Europe and Asia. At the time of writing, there are over 90 large commercial vessels equipped with wind-propulsion systems, representing over 5 million DWT, of which five are %u2018primary wind%u2019 (i.e., 50%+ powered by wind). The remainder are %u2018wind-assist%u2019, meaning the system delivers a lower percentage of the total propulsive power, typically ranging from 5% to 30%. These figures are complemented by a further 10 traditionally rigged cruise vessels and around a dozen %u2018wind-ready%u2019 ships. These numbers are forecast to continue growing significantly year on year, with over 120 ships either on order, under construction, or publicly announced.This growth has been driven by a number of key factors, including technological development, improved compe298 NX