Høglund Buys Majority Stake in Vindskip
Marine technology provider Høglund Marine Solutions announced it has taken a two-thirds stake in Vindskip AS, a company developing a wind- and liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered vessel concept.Vindskip (which translates to ‘wind ship’ in English) is a vessel design project for a car/truck carrier that combines wind and gas power to achieve the lowest possible emissions in its market segment.With a majority share in Vindskip AS, Høglund will bring the company’s experience and expertise from providing LNG and automation solutions to the Vindskip project.
Vindskip: Wind-powered Containership Concept
The Vindskip, designed by Lade AS, comes to rescue and bring wind power back into action. It uses a hull designed to act as a so-called airfoil, or giant sail. Futuristic concepts for containerships powered by windmill-powered propellers have been in vogue for some time, especially after the studies revealed that shipping accounts for around 3% of global CO2 emissions. A Norwegian engineer has designed a radical new cargo ship with a hull so large it acts as the sails of old. Named Vindskip, the hull on the concept would act as a so-called giant airfoil to harness power from the wind and lift and propel the ship forward, while onboard software would constantly monitor weather forecasts to choose the best course possible.
Blowing in the “Vind”
Norway is no stranger to maritime innovation, as the small Scandinavian country with a population just north of five million (according to most recent statistics from the World Bank) has a strong historical and current affinity towards anything to do with the sea. In addition, Norwegians are traditionally a population that considers environmental matters a top concern, so it’s little surprise to see continued commercial maritime innovation emanating from Norway. Project Vindskip is a hybrid merchant vessel for sustainable sea transport.
