With the maritime industry facing the newest regulation, Fuel EU Maritime, which was implemented on 1st January 2025, vessel owners and operators are actively seeking proven solutions to meet increasingly stringent emissions requirements. The landmark regulation requires ships above 5,000 GT operating in EU waters to significantly reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity over time, starting with a 2% reduction from 2025-2029 and accelerating to an 80% reduction by 2050.

According to DNV’s latest analysis, wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS) like Rotor Sails are emerging as one of the most cost-effective compliance strategies available to shipowners. The study demonstrates that vessels equipped with Rotor Sails can achieve:

• Improved well-to-wake GHG intensity scores
• A 5% reward factor under FuelEU Maritime regulations
• Significant annual cost savings that increase as requirements become stricter

Our own research shows that if Anemoi Rotor Sails were installed on every suitable vessel in the world’s fleet, the average savings per year would be 17 million tonnes of fuel, and 56 million tonnes of carbon.

Importantly, in the context of FuelEU Maritime, vessels utilising Rotor Sails can generate compliance surpluses in the early years of the regulation, which can either be banked for future use or pooled with other vessels. This provides shipowners with valuable flexibility in their compliance strategy while potentially creating additional revenue streams through the trading of compliance credits.

The analysis also reveals that combining Rotor Sails with other measures like biofuels results in lower total costs compared to using alternative fuels alone. As FuelEU Maritime requirements become more stringent over time, the economic case for wind propulsion becomes even more compelling.