Econowind, the Dutch wind propulsion innovator, has installed its VentoFoil sail system on the Jutlandia Swan, a chemical tanker operated by Danish shipping company Uni-Tankers.
The 16m high “VentoFoils” were installed in just four days at the port of Rotterdam which are intended to reduce the ship’s emissions in future.
“This is the fourth tanker to sail with VentoFoils,” says Chiel de Leeuw, Chief Commercial Officer at Econowind since the end of last year. “It shows how our ‘Suction Wind’ technology is gaining acceptance in the tanker segment. Thanks to our experience and our ATEX-approved systems, we know what is required for these vessels. And we are proud to support Uni-Tankers in this important step.”
Econowind has sold 130 of its patented VentoFoil sails to date and continues to expand its footprint in commercial fleets. While the technology has primarily been deployed on short-sea and smaller vessels, plans are underway to integrate the system on larger ships. In February, Econowind secured multi-million-euro government funding to accelerate these efforts.
Econowind sails promise significant savings
The “Jutlandia Swan” is a 124m long and 20m wide chemical tanker. The basic work for the installation of the sails was carried out during a planned dry dock stay in Turkey. The actual installation was then completed within a few days in Rotterdam. “This shows how easily VentoFoils can be integrated into existing processes,” said Econowind.
The VentoFoils are currently undergoing classification by Bureau Veritas and are expected to deliver substantial environmental and economic benefits: a 10% improvement in the EEXI (Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index) and a 3% contribution to compliance with FuelEU Maritime regulations. These figures support the business case not only technically viable, but also economically convincing, it says.
“Wind-assisted ship propulsion has great potential – but its real value depends on how well it integrates into daily operations. Now we can test how these sails behave at sea, what impact they have on fuel efficiency and how the crew can work with them in practice,” says Kristian Larsen, Technical Director at Uni-Tankers.
