Press & Media
SGS’ FastRig and FastRoute Validated by Success of Sea Trials
Smart Green Shipping’s successful sea trials of wind-assisted propulsion system FastRig have confirmed its time-efficient installation and removal quayside, safe integration into onboard operations, and independently verified the accuracy of the performance modelling tool, FastRoute.
London, 29 May 2025: Smart Green Shipping (SGS) has released the results of recent sea trials of its cutting-edge FastRig wind-assisted propulsion system (WAPS), conducted in late 2024 aboard the MV Pacific Grebe, a nuclear waste carrier. Despite the technical challenges involved with installation on such a specialised vessel, the SGS team successfully installed the lightweight FastRig dockside via its streamlined easy-on/easy-off installation process, carried out intensive sea trials, and then rapidly uninstalled the system to the satisfaction of the ship owner and the Class Society — on budget and within 8 weeks.
Diane Gilpin, CEO at Smart Green Shipping, said, “Our recent sea trials have demonstrated the FastRig’s ability to address key market concerns, such as time away from commercial operations, impact on vessel structure and operational safety (particularly visibility), and additional energy consumption to power WAPs. Our customers, collaborators, and investors now have clear evidence that FastRig’s lightweight, stowable design reduces the need for extensive deck reinforcement and eliminates reliance on active fans or rotors. This has the added benefit of minimising energy use onboard while enabling time-efficient installations and removals quayside or in alignment with planned drydock schedules — supporting ship owners, charterers and those in the spot market with simplified access to wind as a free, renewable and futureproof source of energy.”
In an industry first, SGS chartered its own vessel to conduct trials in full accordance with scientifically rigorous International Towing Tank Conference (ITTC) protocols. This approach ensured complete, unrestricted access to operational data — allowing for a holistic assessment of vessel performance and overall impact, rather than isolating the performance of FastRig alone. This facilitated independent verification of the accuracy of SGS’ performance modelling tool, FastRoute, by The University of Southampton and Houlder, a UK-based clean technology consultancy for marine and offshore environments — enhancing industry confidence in commercial agreements and confirming the FastRig’s ability to deliver fuel savings of up to 40% per annum.
The FastRig has a small deck footprint which minimises impact on deck space for cargo or operations. Its automated operations make it intuitive to use, minimising additional administrative burden for crew. Fully stowable on deck and with a radar that independently addresses loss of visibility, the FastRig ensures safety of operations when in port as well as at sea in high or low winds. The unique design makes use of commercially available parts in innovative ways, ensuring that maintenance can be timely and cost-effective. When combined with the FastRoute’s route optimisation tool, fuel and emission savings can rise to a factor of 1.5.
Among SGS’ sponsors is Drax Group, one of the world’s largest producers and users of sustainably sourced biomass for renewable energy generation. Mark Gibbens, Head of Logistics at Drax, said, “Sustainability advances most rapidly when the market has access to scalable, affordable and futureproof solutions enabling reduced emissions and regulatory compliance. Wind as an energy source is freely available, renewable, and — with green technology providers like Smart Green Shipping — capable of supporting shipping with its goal of Net Zero, while empowering cargo owners to reduce Scope 3 emissions in their own supply chains.”
With FastRig’s benefits proven in real-world maritime conditions, SGS has advanced to commercial deployment. The team is actively collaborating with industry partners to scale wind propulsion across global fleets — backed by a proven track record of delivering complex projects to the highest standards, on time and within tight operational schedules.
These landmark sea trials were delivered as part of the Winds of Change project, supported by the UK Government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 3 (CMDC3).
SAFETY4SEA - Charting a green course: The potential of wind in shipping industry’s future
by Diane Gilpin
The shipping industry has long been aware of the pressing need for greater fuel efficiency, driven by rising operational costs and growing environmental concerns.
While much of the focus has been on alternative fuel sources and improving traditional propulsion systems, there’s a rising buzz around wind-assisted technology as a potential game-changer.
SAFETY4SEA - 2025 GREEN4SEA Athens Forum
During the 2025 GREEN4SEA Athens Forum, Diane Gilpin, Founder & CEO, Smart Green Shipping Alliance, focused on the journey of wind-assisted propulsion from concept to reality. Her presentation emphasized the potential of wind as a renewable energy source to complement other propulsion methods, offering an innovative solution to help the industry meet its environmental goals.
Listen below:
MCA - Securing a greener future with cleaner maritime technology
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has been supporting the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC).
MCA’s role in delivery of this programme is particularly key when a project involves the integration of an innovative technology with an existing ship, as a recent example the MCA supported the integration and subsequent sea-trials of a 20m wing sail developed by a consortium led by Smart Green Shipping, with the sail being retrofit to the UK-flagged Pacific Grebe.
SAFETY4SEA - Pioneers of green shipping shine at the 2025 GREEN4SEA Awards
The Editorial Team - SAFETY4SEA
Diane Gilpin, Founder & CEO, Smart Green Shipping, received the 2025 GREEN4SEA Personality Award for her groundbreaking innovation in advancing a greener future for the maritime industry. As a pioneer in renewable energy solutions, she advocates for wind propulsion to accelerate the industry’s transition, taking significant action. Notably, she has developed the Future Automated Sail Technology (FastRig) in collaboration with key partners.
SAFETY4SEA - 2025 GREEN4SEA Athens Forum: Stakeholders and regulators turning the tide on green shipping
The Editorial Team - SAFETY4SEA
Diane Gilpin, Founder & CEO, Smart Green Shipping Alliance, focused on the journey of wind-assisted propulsion from concept to reality.
IWSA Wind Propulsion Survey
The International Windship Association has launched this comprehensive survey to gauge perceptions of wind propulsion technology in the shipping sector. Your participation would be most appreciated to give IWSA the best, most comprehensive data to help drive this important sector.
Logistics UK - The Green Miles: 9 Below Zero
Maritime innovator takes The Green Miles' nine question challenge.
Enabling the move away from fossil-powered ships is Diane Gilpin's Smart Green Shipping (SGS), an innovative company helping modern vessels harness the power of the wind using 21st century, digitally-enabled technology.
Logistics UK - Pushing the boat out
The shipping industry turns to giant high-tech wings.
"Why didn't I think of that?" You may well ask. After all, it is a simple premise - huge 20-metre wings that propel cargo ships and reduce carbon emissions. When bolted to a vessel’s decks and sitting upright, the wing, called FastRig, will act as a sail harnessing the power of wind.
Smart Green Shipping (SGS), the company that has developed the device, and some of the world’s leading shipowners are convinced that it can provide clean power to supplement ships’ engines.
TradeWinds - Di Gilpin: ‘Wind energy is not some hippy-yachtie greenwash’
Di Gilpin for TradeWinds
The main problem in shipping that I’d fix is the failure to grasp that wind energy is not some hippy-yachtie greenwash, that the shipping fleet has everything it needs now to make the industry cleaner, more commercially resilient and, dare I say it, fun!
Bunkerspot - Early Learning: Lessons from First Movers: Sail of the Century
Bunkerspot Magazine
In October, Smart Green Shipping (SGS) showcased FastRig – its lightweight, easy-to-retrofit intelligent wingsail – on the MV Pacific Grebe in sea trials at both Southampton and Greenock. This land mark came just over a decade after I first incorporated SGS, and you might ask why did it take so long?
Tech Market View - Totally Sust Podcast #6: Wind-as-a-service: Wing-sail solutions to decarbonise Global Shiping
Craig Wentworth - Tech Market View
In the sixth episode of TechMarketView's sustainability technology podcast "Totally Sust", Principal Analyst Craig Wentworth talks to Di Gilpin (Founder & CEO at Smart Green Shipping) and Henry Smith (Chartering Manager at MOL, the Mitsui O.S.K. Lines shipping business) about how Smart Green Shipping's FastRig wing-sail is being used to decarbonise commercial shipping, and the company's innovative Wind-as-a-Service business model that helps de-risk adoption of such innovative new tech.
ESG Investor - Set Sail For A Green Future
By Diane Gilpin for ESG Investor
The misconception that wind is unpredictable and therefore an impossible alternative to fossil fuels, has meant the maritime industry and investors continue to underestimate this primary renewable energy. But modern wind-assist technology in tandem with the latest in route optimisation software – taking into account historical and real-time weather forecasts and data – means we have the ability to predict when and how the wind will blow, bringing wind into the 21st century.
Reuters - Sea trial aims to give industry confidence in smart sail tech
Reuters
A cargo ship fitted with a high-tech, computer-controlled smart sail is undergoing sea trials off the United Kingdom coast to test how effective it is in helping power the ship. Olivia Zollino reports.
“By 2050, shipping needs to be net zero so we need to find ways of reducing the fuel and the emissions from shipping. And wind is a brilliant way of starting that process.”
Watch the video to learn more.
TradeWinds - ShipTech News: Will renting out the wind work? Ask Di
Craig Eason - TradeWinds
After 20 years, Di Gilpin saw her idea come to fruition when the 4,902-dwt Pacific Grebe (built 2010) left Barrow two weeks ago with its FastRig secured in its deck.
But the journey is far from over. The rig is only a temporary addition to the UK-flagged nuclear waste carrier. It will be removed once the trials are completed, with the data and learning from sea trials assessed.
TradeWinds - Rent out the wind: Can sail Technology for specific charters avoid start-up valley of death?
Craig Eason - TradeWinds
“Ultimately nothing in that wing sail is particularly innovative in its own right. What we have done is bring together existing technology from cranes, wind turbines, aircraft wings, and Americas Cup [yacht racing] technology,” Gilpin told TradeWinds.
WorldCargo News - Hitech windy shipping breezes into Greenock
Simon Walton - WorldCargo News
The Scottish port of Greenock is playing host to an experimental wind-assisted cargo ship, with technology manufactured locally and getting ready for deployment around the world.
The Scotsman - Watch: Scottish eco-sails could herald return to earlier maritime age - and cut emissions by 30%
Joshua King - The Scotsman
Sea trials are expected to conclude next month and will confirm if lab modelling, conducted by the University of Southampton, showing that vessels fitted with FastRig could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30 per cent annually on transatlantic crossing.
BBC News - How wind power could be future of cargo shipping
Stephen Stafford - BBC News
An experimental wind-powered cargo ship has arrived in Southampton to undergo sea trials.
The 5,000-tonne cargo carrier, Pacific Grebe, has been retrofitted with a new 20-metre (65ft) wing-sail to allow it to be powered by wind.
Scientists from the University of Southampton are coordinating controlled sea trials to assess the ship’s performance across different conditions in UK waters.