Logistics service provider HGK Shipping and plastics manufacturer Covestro are strengthening their collaboration in the field of sustainable logistics.
At the end of March, the coaster “Amadeus Titanium” in Harlingen was equipped with two Ventofoils from Econowind. The system uses wind power to reduce the load on the engines and reduces both fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
The HGK shipping subsidiary Amadeus Schiffahrts- und Speditionsgesellschaft has equipped its coaster “Amadeus Titanium” with a resource-saving wind assistance system. Since the end of March 2026, the ship has been sailing with so-called Ventofoils from the Dutch manufacturer Econowind in order to carry out transport orders for its long-standing partner Covestro with even lower emissions.
The Ventofoils work in a similar way to an aircraft wing. The vertical wings use the pressure differences of the air flowing past to generate additional propulsion. According to HGK Shipping, this technology enables average fuel savings of around ten percent. This is associated with a corresponding reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, which is particularly important for achieving the sustainability targets (Scope 3 emissions) of industrial partners such as Covestro.
For Covestro, equipping the ship represents a further building block in its strategy to fully align its logistics with the circular economy. “The cooperation with HGK Shipping is spurring a more sustainable design of our supply chains,” explains Nils Peterzelka, Sourcing Manager at Covestro, according to a press release. The project is also an important milestone for HGK Shipping. CEO Steffen Bauer emphasizes that such innovative systems bridge the gap between existing fleets and the propulsion technologies of the future: “Wind assistance systems are an immediately available solution to significantly reduce the ecological footprint in the short sea sector.”
Technology for the existing fleet
The installation in Harlingen shows that modern green shipping technology is not just reserved for newbuilds. The Ventofoils can be flexibly retrofitted to existing units and thus help to ensure the competitiveness of European coastal shipping as part of the EU’s Green Deal. In future, the “Amadeus Titanium” will primarily be deployed on routes between the ARA ports (Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam) and destinations in Norway and the UK. (PK)
