Tharsis to install wind propulsion system onboard general cargo vessel
Dutch owner Tharsis Sea-River Shipping has entered into a contract with eConowind and NG shipyard to install two sets of TwinFoil wind-assist propulsion systems on the company’s general cargo vessel Tharsis.
The TwinFoil is a wing with a flap principle similar to those used by aircraft during landing and take-off and can be folded up and down as needed.
“We always try to use as little as fuel as possible on our weekly voyage from Duisburg to the East coast of the UK. Using currents and tides and optimizing our schedule. Adding wind-assisted propulsion will further reduce our fuel consumption. Especially interesting is to see how much the tipping point of starting a second generator will shift,” said Jan Albert Bosma, co-owner of Tharsis Sea-River Shipping.
The project is backed by the EU Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion (WASP) program, supported by the European Regional Development Fund.
“We are delighted to add Tharsis to our customer base and with both river and North Sea routing with varying winds we expect a lot from the TwinFoil. Of particular interest is the combination of this self-adjusting technology in combination with a modern diesel-electric drive, which in theory should give optimal results,” said Frank Nieuwenhuis, CEO of eConowind.
