Press & Media
SplashTECH (Splash247) - Wingsail trials move toward commercial deployment in biomass shipping sector
Swire Bulk, Smart Green Shipping, and the UK’s largest supplier of renewable energy, Drax, have announced a partnership to advance the commercial deployment of SGS’s FastRig wingsails on a ship moving sustainable biomass.
Today’s announcement builds on SGS’s existing partnership with Drax, which match-funded the UK government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.
The resulting ‘Winds of Change’ project chartered a ship exclusively to research the energy contributed to the ship’s operation from the wingsail.
Ship Energy - Swire Bulk and Smart Green Shipping teaming up on wingsails deployment
Ian Taylor - Ship Energy
Smart Green Shipping (SGS) has informed ship.energy that it is working with Swire Bulk to explore the viability of installing FastRig wingsails on a ship moving sustainable biomass for the renewable energy supplier Drax.
In a statement sent to ship.energy today (19 May), SGS said that this initiative builds on its existing partnership with Drax, which match funded the UK Government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC3). The resulting ‘Winds of Change’ project chartered a ship to research the energy contributed to the ship’s operation from the wingsail.
TradeWinds - Swire Bulk assessing wind solution for Drax-chartered vessel
Craig Eason - TradeWinds
Swire Bulk has begun talks to install a wind propulsion system on a vessel moving sustainable biomass.
The Singapore-based shipowner is in discussions with UK-based Smart Green Shipping (SGS), which has developed a wing sail solution and software systems to allow vessels to trim and route-optimise.
The vessel is on charter with UK biomass energy company Drax, which has been a supporter of and investor in SGS for years.
SAFETY4SEA Log - May Issue 114
Our Founder and CEO Diane Gilpin speaks to SAFETY4SEA Log (Issue 114, May 2026) about why the shipping industry needs to reframe its thinking around decarbonisation entirely.
Diane challenges the conventional ESG narrative, arguing that sustainability is fundamentally about good business practice and commercial resilience, not just environmental compliance. She makes a compelling case for wind propulsion as one of the lowest-cost solutions available to shipping today, and calls on the IMO to formally recognise wind as a 'fuel' pathway rather than simply an energy efficiency measure.
The interview also touches on the human element of the energy transition. Diane shares how seafarers and crew have been central to the development and sea trials of our FastRig wingsails, bringing real-world intelligence that has shaped the technology.
Her conclusion is clear: a global, cohesive emissions reduction policy from the IMO, paired with an economic stimulus mechanism to accelerate uptake of renewable energy, would be the single biggest game-changer for the industry's future.
SAFETY4SEA - Women in Maritime Watch: How can the industry advance gender equality?
Every year on 18 May, the International Day for Women in Maritime, established by the IMO, serves as an important reminder to support women working both at sea and ashore while encouraging meaningful dialogue around gender diversity across the maritime sector. The initiative aims to raise awareness, strengthen visibility, and promote greater female participation throughout the industry.
Logistics UK - Reap the wild wind – the case for wingsails
De-risking wind propulsion with guaranteed, scientifically verified fuel savings by Di Gilpin, CEO Smart Green Shipping.
International shipping is battling significant fuel price and availability uncertainty amidst current geopolitical tensions. This crisis demands new approaches to improve resilience and prevent systemic delivery delays and rising prices for consumers.
The Scotsman - Modern Take On Ancient Tech Gets Smart Operator Really Moving
Scott Reid - The Scotsman
Smart Green Shipping was featured in this weekend's print edition of The Scotsman, where our CEO and founder Di Gilpin sat down with Scott Reid to talk about what we are building, why it matters, and why now is the moment for wind propulsion to move from the margins to the mainstream of global shipping.
Ship Energy - MEPC 84 REACTIONS: NGOs pleased that Net-Zero Framework ‘remains on the table’ – but call for ‘urgent adoption’
Ian Taylor - Ship Energy
The wind propulsion specialist Smart Green Shipping is one of the companies looking to play a role in the decarbonisation market, and its Founder and CEO Di Gilpin told ship.energy on Saturday that MEPC 84 had helped to bring the transition back ‘on track’.
SAFETY4SEA - Smart Green Shipping: Wind must be recognised as ‘fuel’ pathway at IMO
In an exclusive interview, Diane Gilpin, Founder and CEO of Smart Green Shipping (SGS), challenges the way wind propulsion is currently classified in maritime regulation. She argues that describing it as “energy efficiency” is misleading, as wind directly propels a vessel and should instead be recognised as a form of propulsive energy.
The Journal of Ocean Technology - Women and the Ocean
Smart Green Shipping is proud to be featured in the Spring 2026 issue of the Journal of Ocean Technology (JOT), one of the leading publications in the maritime sector.
The article, written by SGS CEO and founder Diane Gilpin, shares findings from the UK Government-funded Winds of Change project, a collaboration between Smart Green Shipping and the University of Southampton. It describes the first formal scientific sea trials of our FastRig wingsail, conducted aboard a 104-metre bulk cargo vessel, and the validation of FastRoute, our performance prediction model.
The trials demonstrated that even a modest prototype wingsail produced measurable improvements in vessel speed and reductions in propeller power demand. Crucially, FastRoute's predictions closely matched real-world results, giving shipowners, investors, and regulators greater confidence in wind-assisted propulsion as a viable, cost-effective pathway to reducing emissions.
This work represents a meaningful step forward in building the evidence base that the industry needs to accelerate the adoption of wind-assist technology. We are grateful to our partners, our funders, and the team at JOT for helping bring this research to a wider audience. There is real momentum behind the winds of change in shipping, and we are proud to be part of it.
World Cargo News - Smart Green Shipping gains finance-grade validation
Simon Walton - World Cargo News
UK-based wind-assisted propulsion developer Smart Green Shipping says it can now guarantee the fuel-saving performance of its FastRig system, after independent validation of real-world sea-trial data by researchers at the University of Southampton. The findings could strengthen the commercial case for wind-assist technology as shipowners seek practical ways to cut fuel consumption and emissions.
TradeWinds - Guaranteed Wind Performance
Craig Eason - TradeWinds
A UK green tech start-up is to guarantee fuel savings for shipowners that install its wind solutions, in a deal which is believed to be a first in the sector.
Smart Green Shipping chief executive Di Gilpin said recent rigorous sea trials of its stowable rigid sails on a UK-flagged ship gave the company the “confidence” to commit to the deal.
Safety4Sea - Smart Green Shipping: First finance-grade guarantees unlocked for FastRig
Smart Green Shipping (SGS) can now warranty the fuel-saving performance of FastRig, its wind-assist propulsion system following assessment under ITTC protocols developed by ship scientists.
Splash247 - British wind propulsion specialist to warranty fuel savings
Smart Green Shipping’s (SGS) Winds of Change project has validated the FastRig wingsail prototype on a 104 m cargo ship, showing close agreement between high‑fidelity predictions and sea trial measurements and enabling commercial performance guarantees.
Ship.Energy February 2026 Magazine
Smart Green Shipping’s founder and CEO, Diane Gilpin, is among the contributors to Ship.Energy’s February issue, taking part in the ship.energy 2026 survey alongside a diverse, influential group of industry decision-makers, innovators and policymakers. As a long-standing advocate for scaling practical climate solutions at sea, Diane brings a system-wide perspective that connects technology, regulation, finance and environmental protection.
World Cargo News - Smart Green Shipping closes in on new funding round
Scottish wind-as-a-service provider Smart Green Shipping (SGS) is closing its current funding round. The work is being managed by Aberdeen-based investment bank, Piper Sandler, as commercial shipping looks for practical, near-term solutions to cut fuel consumption and emissions. The round has attracted interest from both existing and new investors, reflecting growing confidence in wind-assisted propulsion as a viable tool for decarbonising large parts of the global fleet.
SAFETY4SEA - Industry Voices: A 2026 wish-list for greener shipping
The green transition is no longer a question of intent, but of execution, credibility and scale, emphasised experts in our special column. Decarbonisation is inevitable, but complex and it cannot succeed in silos.
Industry voices stressed that sustainability must be addressed across the full lifecycle of a vessel—from design and fuel choices to real-world operations, digital optimisation, and responsible recycling. Narrow, fuel-only approaches are no longer sufficient; instead, the transition requires flexible pathways that balance climate ambition with commercial viability, safety and operational reality.
Seatrade Maritime News - Trusted data key to wind propulsion wider adoption
Gary Howard - Seatrade Maritime News
Trust in system performance and reliability is a barrier to the wider adoption of wind propulsion systems, experts at a recent webinar said, and the sector is putting verified data to work to avoid over-promising and under-delivering.
During the webinar, hosted by MarRI-UK and available to watch on Youtube, Di Gilpin, founder & CEO, Smart Green Shipping (SGS), said she knew at the beginning of her journey in wind propulsion that trusted data would be the accelerator for the technology.
MarRI-UK - Webinar: Wind Propulsion Technology And The Maritime Market
Wind propulsion is quickly becoming one of the most disruptive energy transformation technologies in maritime. As the sector doubles down on net-zero commitments, wind is breaking the mold by shifting the focus away from fuel-dependent strategies altogether. Retrofittable or integrated into newbuilds, this fuel-agnostic tech taps a free, renewable energy source to cut consumption, hedge against volatile fuel markets, and strengthen long-term operational resilience—especially as alternative fuels grow more expensive.
Rapid innovation in wind-assist systems, combined with rising interest from shipowners, charterers, ports, and regulators, is accelerating demand for a clear understanding of both the technology and the market forces driving adoption. Smart Green Shipping’s pioneering approach and real-world demonstrations show how modern vessels can harness wind at scale — and unlock new commercial models in the process.
To advance this knowledge, MarRI-UK hosted a webinar in collaboration with Smart Green Shipping for a dynamic webinar delivering a high-level, accessible overview of wind propulsion technology in today’s commercial landscape. The session unpacks the current state of the technology, spotlight emerging market trends, and explore how wind-assist solutions are shaping the next generation of sustainable shipping.
We are fortunate to have three very knowledgeable speakers who joined the webinar:
Di Gilpin, Founder & CEO, Smart Green Shipping
Frank Hendrikse, Manager (Tanker Department), Hagland Shipbrokers
Camille Bourgeon, Regulatory development & Policy Coordination (Climate action and clean air), Marine Environment Division, IMO.
The webinar was chaired by Professor John Hudson , Strategic Advisor to MarRI-UK.