Econowind ‘XL’ sail project garners EUR 1 million investment

Invest International has put up EUR 1 million in capital to support Econowind’s development of the VentoFoil XL, a vast suction sail of between 24 and 30m in height, targeted at the deep-sea shipping sector.

One of the only sail manufacturers to develop a design aimed at the container segment with its containerised VentoFoil system, Econowind’s customers have generally been smaller coastal vessels. However, the Dutch company is now targeting large deep-sea vessels such as bulk carriers and tankers, where “demand is high, and the potential is enormous,” according to Econowind CEO Frank Nieuwenhuis.

“Econowind is a perfect fit for our portfolio as an innovative Dutch scale-up driving the sustainability of shipping. With key partners like Damen Shipyards and customers among the world’s top ten shipping companies, Econowind is well-positioned for a global rollout,” said Michiel Slootweg, director of Private Sector at Invest International. “These international opportunities are a key reason for our investment. Development capital is often unavailable through traditional financing, but we can provide the necessary support to help bring this product to market.”

Taller sails could pose greater benefit, as the winds tend to be more powerful higher above sea level. Currently, the largest suction sails set to be installed are 22m-high bound4blue sails, due to be fitted to an Amasus vessel this summer. Pyxis Ocean, on charter to Cargill, was fitted with 37.5m-high BAR ‘Windwings’ wing-type sails in 2023, and VLCC Sohar Max had five Anemoi 35-m rotor sails retrofitted at the end of last year.

However, the sails on Neoliner Origin, currently undergoing sea-trials at Turkish shipyard RMK, will be the largest, comprising two 90m Chantiers de l’Atlantic ‘solidsails’ made of fiberglass.