Thordon joins IWSA

(Posted on 24/04/18)

Thordon Bearings has joined a growing number of organisations to have signed up as a full associate member of the International Windship Association (IWSA), the organisation established to facilitate and promote the economic and environmental advantages of wind propulsion across the shipping industry.

IWSA now has a membership base of over 40 companies and organisations that includes shipowners, naval architects, research institutes, environmental groups and original equipment manufacturers.

Thordon Bearings’ President and CEO, Terry McGowan, said: “While Thordon Bearings is associated with environmentally safe seawater lubricated bearings for conventionally shafted drive trains, we see the renewed interest in wind propulsion as another commercially-viable approach to ocean sustainability. We have therefore joined IWSA in support of its commitment to reducing shipping’s environmental footprint.”

IWSA Secretary, Gavin Allwright, said: “We are delighted to welcome Thordon Bearings into the IWSA family. We share Thordon’s drive to bring technology solutions to the industry that make both environmental and commercial sense.

“As an association it is our stated goal to work with companies and groups that have this at the heart of their business model. Thordon Bearings’ seawater lubrication systems are a natural choice for any ultra-low emissions vessel, totally eliminating oil emissions to water, while wind propulsion reduces emissions to air. We look forward to working with Thordon to continue to bring that message to the industry – what works for the planet, works for your bottom line.”

Technological advancement is now such that sail ships are considered a credible ‘green’ alternative to conventional modes of propulsion. Indeed, IWSA members have suggested that wind powered ships can reduce the cost of ship operation by as much as 50% on some particularly windy routes.

The use of wind propulsion in modern commercial shipping covers a wide spectrum and includes wind-assisted motor vessels, where auxiliary propulsion is provided by wind, to pure wind ships and hybrid sails ships, where primary propulsion is from the wind, augmented by engines to ensure schedules are maintained.

Latest News

Shipping takes major sustainable plastic step with toolkit from MACS

The Maritime Association for Clean Seas (MACS) has published a series of practical guides to enable... Read more

Shanghai climbs to second as Singapore retains top spot

Shanghai has officially become the world’s second-most prominent shipping hub, according to the... Read more

OceanScore sees growing port adoption of PortView

OceanScore, the maritime data and sustainability company helping shipping and ports turn regulatory... Read more

INTERCARGO highlights progress and priorities in bulk carrier safety

Bulk carrier safety continues to show steady long-term improvement, but the nature of risk facing seafarers... Read more

Norden raises full-year guidance following strong performance in dry cargo

Following stronger than expected operational performance in dry cargo, reduced costs associated with... Read more

Algoma announces refinancing of long-term debt

Algoma Central Corporation, a leading provider of marine transportation services, has announced that... Read more

Global maritime under threat from Fortibleed incident, warns Cydome

Major maritime, ports and energy companies have been identified by Cydome’s threat-intelligence... Read more

Crewing specialist expands global recruitment network with Indonesian seafarers

As the global shipping industry faces mounting concerns over future crew availability, Danica Crewing... Read more

IMO pauses evacuation in Strait of Hormuz following attack

Following an attack on a vessel in the Gulf of Oman, IMO has decided to temporarily pause its evacuation... Read more

Human cost of keeping world trade moving highlighted on Day of the Seafarer

Leading health and wellness platform OneCare Group is calling on shipping leaders to recognise the immense... Read more