ONE invests in wind-assist propulsion, orders two containerized units from Econowind

Singapore-based Ocean Network Express (ONE) has decided to install two containerized wind assist units on one of their operated container feeder ships before the end of 2023.

The 143m, 1036 TEU capacity Kalamazoo is owned by Singapore-based Norse and the wind assist systems will be supplied by the Netherlands-based company, Econowind.

This is one of the key initiatives of ONE’s operational cost optimization project cluster called “Sapphire + Project”.

The two containerized units will be equipped with the latest wing design from Dutch wind propulsion solutions provider Econowind, the ‘VentoFoil’. The units have smart suction systems in order to control the airflow around the wing-shaped element ensuring maximal trust per surface area. The 10,5 x 2,8 m VentoFoil units will be able to generate thrust to save up to 400kW of engine power, ONE said.

The move builds on the joint study of the potential of wind-propulsion carried out jointly by ONE, Norse, and Econowind. The company expects the solutions to contribute to the reduction of fuel oil consumption and have a positive effect on a wide range of operations.

“Reduction of GHG emissions is ONE’s top business priority. This first wind assist system utilization will be a great milestone to our goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050,” said Takashi Kase, Senior Vice President of ONE.

“Norse is proud to be a partner with ONE and Econowind on this wind assisted propulsion project, targeting greener shipping in the years to come,” said Sebastian Roed, Director of Norse.

“We are delighted to add ONE to our customer base as the first Asian partner, making a big step in making shipping more sustainable. The more installations we can retrofit, the more data we can attain and learn from,” Frank Nieuwenhuis, CEO of Econowind added.

“This provides us with solid proof of how wind-assisted ship propulsion is reducing emissions per nautical mile and with vessels improving their EEXI / EEDI. This also serves as a justification for the investment; the costs of systems can be covered by the savings generated.”