Wind propulsion could cut shipping emissions by up to 9.4%, study finds
10 May 2026
A new study for Seas At Risk by Tyndall Manchester, finds that wind propulsion can significantly reduce emissions from shipping with existing technology and vessels.
The study, led by Dr James Mason from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change, used data from 1.74 billion kilometres of ship voyages and wind, wave and ocean current data with a wind propulsion model to calculate fuel savings.
Across different technology uptake scenarios, the analysis shows wind propulsion could reduce fuel use by 6.3–9.4% across the 34,000 modelled ships, with greater potential when combined with other measures. By 2050, it could deliver up to 762 million tonnes of cumulative CO₂e savings.
The study is a world first on the decarbonisation potential of wind propulsion across the maritime fleet. Wind propulsion is commercially available, proven and capable of delivering emissions reductions today, before next-generation fuels become competitive at scale