Van Dam Shipping Installs Wind Assisted Propulsion System

The Netherlands-based Van Dam Shipping has signed a contract for the installation of wind assisted propulsion system on one of its cargo ships.

The Ventifoil system, developed by Dutch based ship designer eConowind, scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2019, would be installed on the 3,600 dwt cargo vessel MV Ankie.

For eConowind BV, located in Groningen, Netherlands, it is the first commercial order of their Ventifoil system which successfully completed sea test trials earlier this year.

The wind-assist system was developed over the past three years supported by an EU backed grant and this first installation marks a significant milestone for the company in bringing their technology to a shipping market eager to deploy credible decarbonization solutions.

“We are seeking ‘Econology’ for shipping: good for Ecology but must be Economical as well. After several years of development and testing we are very happy to take this next big step: a first commercial installation to show that saving energy and emissions can mean saving money at the same time. We are confident that such an innovative company as van Dam Shipping will manage to get the most out of the system and we are really excited to share the results in the coming months.” stated Frank Nieuwenhuis, CEO of eConowind.

The modular Ventifoil units are in the form of non-rotating wing with vents and an internal fan that use boundary layer suction for maximum effect. This installation will feature two, 10-meter wings along with two extensions of six meters that will generate significant force allowing the vessel to reduce motor power and thus save energy.

"We expect the reduction in fuel costs over a period of approx. three years will equal the costs of the system and thus fulfill our dream of using the wind again in modern shipping, which has been 40 years in the making," stated a delighted Jan van Dam, owner of van Dam Shipping.

Van Dam Shipping will participate in further testing the concept in the new EU Interreg backed Wind-Assist Ship Propulsion ( WASP) research program, which from October will study practical use of wind-assisted systems in day-to-day operation as well as actual savings over an extended period of time.

Both eConowind and van Dam Shipping are convinced the Ventifoils will give significant savings and thus be an important solution to help shipping reach the IMO decarbonization goals for 2030 and 2050.