Chemship BV has revealed the first sails installed onboard a chemical tanker, made by Econowind, to reduce the vessel’s emissions.
According to the company, on Friday 16th February, a crowd of 180 stakeholders gathered to witness the sails being installed onboard the chemical tanker, MT Chemical Challenger. The company also noted that the sails are the most visible part of the solutions that they have embraced to create a better CO2 footprint.
For instance, as stated in their website, Chemship has also invested in hull coatings and boss cap fins, popular energy saving technologies, to reduce their vessels’ emissions.
The inauguration of the sails will earmark a milestone in the 55 years of history of Chemship and will place us at pole position of innovation in the chemical shipping industry.
… said the company in a LinkedIn post
What is a Ventofoil?
The VentoFoil sail is a wing shaped element using modern innovations in aerodynamics creating high propelling force relative to its size. Smart suction is integrated in the wing, resulting in double the force of the VentoFoil while reefing when needed.
Wind propulsion
Apart from the sails, there are currently many technologies that harness wind onboard. As Gavin Allwright, Secretary General, International Windship Association (IWSA) at the 2023 GREEN4SEA Athens Forum, the seven wind- propulsion technologies groups fall into the following categories:
- Kites
- Rotors
- Hard sails
- Soft sails & Dynarigs
- Suction wings
- Turbines
- Hull form
To remind, during DNV’s Maritime Energy Transition Summit 2024, Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO, DNV Maritime, pointed out that wind propulsion is a promising route, taking shipping back to its ancient roots.
Who would have thought that after all these years of technological advancements we would be sailing again!
… he said
