According to a recent industry report, the Japanese shipowner Nissen Kaiun has acquired a stake in Econowind, an innovative wind technology company based in the Netherlands.
Econowind has created VentOfoil, an aerodynamic device designed to harness wind energy. To date, more than 130 units have been marketed globally, being used by both Shortsea and Deepsea operators in various sectors.
A representative from Nissen Kaiun commented: “We identified that Econowind offers a mature solution for wind-assisted propulsion. As a market leader, their technology is reliable. Sustainability in shipping is fundamental for us and we are considering implementing their advanced systems in our fleet.”
Daan Koornneef, CEO of Econowind, stated: “The collaboration with Nissen Kaiun will facilitate the expansion of our VentOfoil range towards larger units destined for DeepSea transport and could open opportunities for future production in Asia. With their extensive commercial network in Japan and other Asian markets, this partnership will allow us to increase our presence and develop significant projects.”
Other Japanese shipowners are also investing heavily in wind technologies; for example, Mitsui Osk Lines has been working for years on rigid sails while Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha explores the large-scale use of kites.
Gavin Allwright, Secretary General of the International Windship Association (IWSA), mentioned that there is growing interest among shipowners to actively participate in the development of technology related to renewable energy. This interest is also being reflected among shipyards.
“This indicates that our sector is ready for rapid expansion; we expect to have around 100 ships equipped with these technologies by the end of 2025. Furthermore, there are more than 130 installations planned or already announced,” concluded Allwright.
