Wind-assisted propulsion: Managing safety while regulation takes shape in International Shipping News , Shipping: Emission Possible 17/06/2026 A s wind-assisted propulsion scales across the global fleet, operations are advancing faster than regulation. With IMO guidance still under development, safety today rests on strong operational practice, class approval, and the ISM Code. Wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS) have moved beyond pilot projects. Today, ships equipped with rotors, wings, and sails are trading globally, helping owners cut fuel consumption and emissions while responding to increasingly stringent greenhouse gas requirements. Yet this rapid operational uptake is unfolding faster than binding international regulation is being finalized. This creates a familiar but critical tension. The technology is already in service and increasing in scale across the global fleet, but the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is still developing harmonized safety guidance. For operators in the space, that gap can feel like uncertainty or risk. In reality, the regulatory signals around WAPS are becoming clearer, and safety processes are already in place through the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, flag state engagement, and classification standards. WAPS are now firmly on the IMO safety agenda At the IMO level, wind propulsion and wind-assisted power are now clearly on the safety agenda. The subcommittee on ship design and construction has been formally tasked with developing interim safety guidelines, supported by correspondence group work and progressing towards consideration by the maritime safety committee. While timelines at IMO can be revised, these guidelines are expected to be developed and finalized within the next three to four years. Importantly, these discussions are not happening in a vacuum. They sit within a wider IMO effort to ensure that new and emerging technologies and fuels are addressed within a broader, coherent safety framework.