NYK Bulkship (Atlantic) installs NYK Group’s first wind-assisted ship-propulsion units

TOKYO : NYK Bulkship N.V, an NYK Group Company, installed two wind-assisted ship-propulsion units on the bulk carrier NBA Magritte at the port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, which is engaged in a long-term charter contract with Cargill (USA). This is the first time a unit of this type has been installed on an NYK Group vessel.

Sitting on a 20-foot-long (approximately 6-meter) flat rack container with no walls, VentoFoil has a 16-meter vertical wing that acts as suction sail* which expects about 5 times as much force compared to no-suction versions.

Features of VentoFoil

・VentoFoil 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.
・The system can be easily 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.
・It can be folded in about 5 to 6 minutes, keeping it out of the way of cargo handling.

NB Atlantic 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 Inc. and NYK R&D subsidiary MTI Co., Ltd.

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

* Suction sail : A type of wind assist 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 NYK Group is promoting growth strategies with ESG at the core, based on the Group’s basic philosophy of “Bringing value to life” and a new corporate vision for 2030, which reads, “we go beyond the scope of a comprehensive global logistics enterprise to co-create value required for the future by advancing our core business and growing new ones.” This initiative is part of our “Sail GREEN” brand, which emphasizes NYK’s efforts to reduce GHG emissions through the transport of goods and contribute to customers’ eco-friendly supply chains, regardless of the mode of transport.