Van Dam Shipping has ordered a wind assisted propulsion system from eConowind for its 3600 DWT general cargo vessel MV Ankie. It is the first commercial order for the Ventifoil system.
eConowind BV, located in Groningen, the Netherlands, successfully completed sea trials of the system earlier this year. It was developed over the past three years and supported by an EU backed grant. 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.
The installation for Van Dam Shipping will feature two, ten-metre wings along with two extensions of six metres that will generate significant force allowing the vessel to reduce engine power and thus save energy. The system will be delivered in Q4 2019.
Jan van Dam, owner of Van Dam Shipping: ‘We expect the reduction in fuel costs over a period of approximately three years to equal the costs of the system and, thus, fulfil our dream of using the wind again in modern shipping, which has been forty years in the making.’
Further Testing
Van Dam Shipping will participate in further testing of the concept under the new EU Interreg backed Wind-Assist Ship Propulsion (WASP) research programme. From October, this programme will study the practical use of wind-assisted systems in day-to-day operations as well as actual savings over an extended period of time.
Econology
‘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,’ says Frank Nieuwenhuis, CEO of eConowind.
Picture: A simulation of the twin ventifoil system installation aboard the MV Angie.
