Dutch chemical tanker operator Chemship has commissioned its first ship with wind assisted ship propulsion, which the company believes will make the ‘Chemical Challenger’ the first such tanker to be equipped with sustainable wind technology.
The ship will serve on Chemship’s Trans-Atlantic route between the East Coast of the US and the Mediterranean. Four 16m high aluminium wind sails have been installed on board the 134m long vessel. The VentoFoils from Econowind create a direct wind surface of 180m2. Smart vacuum technology is claimed to quintuple the force of the wind, creating a gross wind surface of 900m2. This is equivalent to an imaginary sail of 30m by 30m. Chemship expects to achieve an average CO2 reduction of 10% with these sails.
Chemship has a relatively young fleet with an average ship age of seven years.
Chemship CEO Niels Grotz said: “As an avid sailor, I know the power of the wind. We will now harness this sustainable and free energy source on Chemical Challenger. Despite the fact that shipping already has the lowest carbon footprint of all transport modes, we can use wind to make our existing fleet even more sustainable. With the VentoFoils, we will use less fuel and thus reduce CO2 emissions. For this vessel, we anticipate an annual CO2 reduction of 850 tonnes. This is equivalent to the yearly CO2 emissions of over 500 passenger cars.”
The emergence of wind-assisted sailing coincides with the introduction of the EU ETS for the shipping industry. Since 1 January, shipowners have been paying for the emissions associated with transporting goods by sea to and from European ports.
Grotz continued: “Our customers increasingly demand CO2 reports. The better our ships perform, the higher the rating from our customers. Fewer emissions are not only beneficial for the environment, you will also notice it directly in your wallet.”
Chemship operations Director Michiel Marelis said: “Shipping is evolution: one step at a time. Chemship was looking for a solution that would not interfere with normal operations. These wind sails were easy to install without adding reinforcements to the ship. They are lightweight, have a small deck ‘footprint’ and do not obstruct the crew’s line of sight. At the push of a button, they can fold or set the sails as needed. Above wind force seven, the sails fold automatically, which is much safer. Now it is learning by doing. With positive results, we will also equip the next vessel with VentoFoils. The beauty of these turbo sails is that you can show it to customers. They immediately capture everyone’s imagination. We hope this will inspire others to choose wind assisted propulsion too. We also focus on less visible aspects such as improved lubricating oils and a coating that enables the ship to glide through the water more efficiently. Cumulatively, this leads to fuel savings of over 15%. This all goes hand in hand with a CO2 reduction. Chemship remains committed to making the fleet more sustainable.”
Image: Chemical Challenger (source: Chemship/IWSA)
