Repeat orders mark WASP success stories
Econowind bags two further Chemship orders as Anemoi completes its second Berge Bulk project.
Wind propulsion systems on commercial ships continue their advance from pilot projects and world-firsts to a maritime decarbonisation mainstay as customers return to providers for additional installations.
Dutch wind propulsion company Econowind announced on 27 January that it had secured orders for systems onboard more ships from chemical tanker operator Chemship. In 2024, Econowind retrofitted four 16-metre VentoFoils on the 2015-built Chemical Challenger, the first wind assisted ship propulsion retrofit on a chemical tanker.
The latest order will see four 16-metre VentoFoils installed on both Chemical Contender and Chemical Fighter in the second half of this year. Chemship CEO Niels Grotz said the results from the first installation spoke for themselves. “Combined with our fuel optimisation software, VentoFoils have reduced fuel use by up to 15%. The installation of VentoFoils on two more ships shows we are making meaningful progress towards a cleaner shipping future.”
On the same day as the Econowind announcement, competitor Anemoi announced the completion of installation of four folding rotor sails in its second project with dry bulk owner operator Berge Bulk.
The Newcastlemax bulker Berge Meru had four 35-metre rotor sails installed at Yiu Lian Dockyards in China. Since the project was completed in December 2025, the ship has completed its first voyage to Singapore, said Anemoi.
Berge Bulk’s first order with Anemoi was for four rotor sails installed onboard 388,000 dwt valemax Berge Neblina, which in turn followed the installation of four BARTech WindWings on Newcastlemax Berge Olympus in 2023. The wind power installations form part of the owner’s strategy to hit net zero fleet emissions by 2050, as well as build and operate a zero-emissions vessel by 2030. Berge Bulk has two ammonia-powered Newcastlemaxes on order, and in 2025 carried out a trial of a carbon capture system on one of its ships.
The wind propulsion system providers said the repeat orders were a show of the confidence in the technologies, their practicality and proven nature.
Speaking to Seatrade Maritime News on the installation of its eSails on the first of five vessels for Maersk Tankers, bound4blue co-founder and deputy CEO Cristina Aleixendri Muñoz said of its own repeat orders: “Follow-on orders, such as those from Amasus or Eastern Pacific Shipping, indicate that the solution delivers consistent value across different different operational profiles.”
Eight ships have had bound4blue’s suction sails installed to date and there are projects for a further 11 vessels in the company’s orderbook. Econowind said it has sold more than 150 of its VentoFoil units.
Figures from DNV showed a growth in wind assisted propulsion systems onboard newbuilds last year. A total of 24 ships were delivered in 2025 with wind-assisted propulsion systems, totalling 63 sails, an increase on 22 deliveries with 49 sails installed in 2024.
Source: Gary Howard on Seatrade Maritime News.
Image: Anemoi
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