Nissen Kaiun takes stake Econowind
Japanese shipowner Nissen Kaiun has become a shareholder in Dutch Wind-Assisted Shipping Propulsion pioneer Econowind. The prime objective is expansion of the VentoFoil product line. Nissen Kaiun’s shareholding ratio has not been disclosed.
Econowind is a pioneering manufacturer of wing type rigid sails that use an active suction system to multiply the effective surface of the wings. With Over 130 units sold worldwide, the company is currently one of the leaders in wind assisted ship propulsion (WASP). Both office and production facilities are based in Zeewolde, The Netherlands
Nissen Kaiun Co., Ltd is a Japanese ship chartering company founded in 1889 and headquartered in Imabari City. It owns one of the largest fleets in Japan, including bulk carriers, container ships, tankers, and LNG carriers. The company itself does not publish key figures online, but over 200 large and mid sized ships are registered to Nissen Kaiun, all operated by third parties.
Goals of the cooperation as expressed in the press release are:
- Extending the VentoFoil product line to larger units for deepsea shipping
- Installing the large version on Nissen Kaiun owned vessels
- Econowind access to Nissen Kaiun’s network in Japan and wider Asian markets
- Possibly production in Asia in the future
The agreement comes as shipowners worldwide look for immediate steps to cut emissions ahead of tightening regulatory targets. Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion is gaining traction as a fuel-neutral solution that can be combined with any engine type or fuel strategy.
Sources: Econowind press release, Wikipedia. Picture: LNG tanker Coral Patula from Anthony Veder with Econowind Ventofoils.
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