NYK installs first wind-assisted propulsion units on bulk carrier (Video)

NYK Bulkship, a subsidiary of Japanese shipping major NYK, has installed two wind-assisted ship propulsion units on the bulk carrier NBA Magritte.

As informed, the installation took place on July 6, 2024, at the Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The Panamax bulker of 82,100 dwt was built in 2013 by Tsuneishi Shipbuilding. The vessel is under a long-term charter contract with Cargill International, a Swiss-based freight trader.

This is the first time a unit of this type has been installed on an NYK Group vessel, according to the Japanese shipowner.

Sitting on a 6-meter long flat rack container with no walls, the propulsion system VentoFoil has a 16-meter vertical wing that acts as suction sail which expects about five times as much force compared to no-suction versions.

A suction sail is a type of wind-assisted propulsion system that generates lift by catching the wind with a structure with an air intake system to control the boundary layer of fluid around the structure.

The system creates propulsion with the pressure difference on both sides of the wing and is expected to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during vessel navigation. It takes in wind through its suction port and obtains greater propulsion by amplifying the pressure difference.

Furthermore, VentoFoil can be activated and deactivated through a touch panel installed on the bridge, enabling operation without increasing the crew’s workload. It is smaller than similar wind equipment, making it easy to install and relocate, according to NYK.

NBAtlantic will collect data on the propulsion generated by this equipment, as well as meteorological and ocean conditions during navigation, and measure the unit’s effectiveness in collaboration with Cargill International and NYK R&D subsidiary MTI Co.

In July last year, NYK announced its plans to install the wind-assisted propulsion systems on a bulk carrier.

This initiative is part of NYK’s long-term target of net-zero emissions of GHGs by 2050 for the NYK Group’s oceangoing businesses.

The NYK Group plans to use the knowledge gained in this research and development to promote initiatives related to various energy-saving technologies, including the use of wind power.