Backed by a PR FESR FVG research and development grant of nearly one million euros, the WINDS, Wing-Implemented Navigation for Decarbonized Shipping project has officially commenced, with the University of Trieste among its key participants.

What is the project about?

WINDS aims to design and implement an innovative system that integrates wind power into maritime propulsion, reducing fuel consumption and lowering pollutant emissions in the shipping industry.

The mareFVG cluster will lead project management and oversee the dissemination of results.

The role of UniTS

The University will conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the vessel involved in the project, following the ISO 14040 standard. LCA is a methodology used to assess the environmental impact of a product, process, or service throughout its entire life cycle.

With UniTS’s contribution, the project will:

• Optimise material selection and production phases wherever possible, reducing the system’s overall impact through a circular ecodesign approach.
• Demonstrate that the developed system complies with international regulations and sustainability targets for the decarbonisation of the maritime sector.
• Identify inefficiencies within the life cycle to lower operational costs and environmental impact, making the system even more attractive to industry operators.
• Lay the groundwork for future development of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) at the European level, alongside industry-specific certifications and Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) – a third-party certification that allows for direct comparison of the environmental impact of similar products. In this case, the Wing Sail Module will be assessed against competing systems.

Finally, as one of the first LCA studies in the maritime sector, and certainly the first focused on wind propulsion technologies for decarbonisation, the research carried out by UniTS is expected to have far-reaching benefits for the entire industry.