Jan van Dam Shipping has signed a contract for the installation of an eConowind supplied wind assisted propulsion system on their 3,600 DWT general cargo vessel MV Ankie. The Ankie, a 3,600 dwt general cargo vessel, belonging to Jan van Dam Shipping has been retrofitted with the the wind rotors at Royal Niestern Sander shipyard and is now operating in the North Sea with its owner claiming the technology is “economically feasible” and will likely be installed on planned newbuilds.

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.