Lloyd’s Register Approves BAR Technologies’ CFD-Based P-Wind Methodology

11 November 2025

Left to right: Tom James, Sales Director at BAR Technologies, and Steve Windrim, Senior Client Relationship Manager at Lloyd’s Register. (Image credit: BAR Technologies)

BAR Technologies has marked a further landmark in the commercialization of wind propulsion, with Lloyd's Register (LR) independently reviewing and approving the company's methodology for calculating P-Wind—the amount of power that is generated by WindWings^® installations. The approval confirms that BAR Technologies' computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach and resulting force matrix align with IMO guidance (MEPC.1/Circ.896) and ITTC verification standards, enabling owners to quantify regulatory benefits under EEDI and EEXI with confidence.

Following a detailed technical review, LR has approved BAR Technologies’ submission as acceptable across every assessment category, from CFD code specification and boundary conditions to grid independence, validation against experimental data, and the generation of the installation-specific force/wind matrix. The outcome provides shipowners with a transparent, class-reviewed pathway to calculate the propulsive contribution of WindWings systems without resorting to lengthy full-scale trials.

For the industry, the significance is immediate. By establishing a class-approved model that can be applied across vessel series, BAR Technologies has removed a major barrier to adoption: uncertainty over evidencing wind-assist performance within statutory efficiency frameworks. Future projects can now follow a proven, streamlined approval route, cutting lead times and engineering costs.

“This approval from Lloyd’s Register moves the conversation from promise to proof,” said John Cooper, CEO of BAR Technologies. “It shows that our modeling delivers decision-grade numbers trusted by class and that owners can book real, verifiable P-Wind gains into their EEDI and EEXI submissions today. It’s another milestone in taking wind propulsion from experimental to essential. We are determined that the buying of a wind propulsion system from BAR Technologies requires no risk taking from the owners whatsoever. We deploy be best system with full transparency.”

Plan view of wind flowlines and pressure differentials on 24 m WindWing^® from BAR Technologies. (Image credit: BAR Technologies)

Steve Windrim, Senior Client Relationship Manager, LR – Account Lead for BAR Technologies, added: “Our review of BAR Technologies’ methodology confirms its robustness against current international references for innovative energy-efficiency technologies. Independent reviews such as this give owners and yards the confidence that wind-assist solutions are being quantified to recognized technical standards, supporting safe and effective integration as the sector accelerates towards decarbonization.”

BAR Technologies’ studies demonstrate significant power contributions from WindWings that translate directly into measurable engine-power reductions under IMO rules. The work spans recent applications on large product tankers under construction at major Asian shipyards, establishing a repeatable template for subsequent WindWings installations on these and other vessel types to gain LR approval.

The achievement builds on BAR Technologies’ expanding collaboration with global classification societies, reinforcing its reputation for rigorous, science-led innovation. As with its earlier Bureau Veritas type-approval milestone, the company continues to set the benchmark for how wind propulsion moves from prototype to regulated reality.