German shipowner Leonhardt & Blumberg has installed Econowind VentoFoils on the general cargo vessel HANSA DREJOE, marking the first of four newbuilds slated to receive wind-assisted propulsion technology. The move reflects the company's practical strategy to reduce fuel consumption and emissions while building operational experience with wind propulsion—a technology increasingly relevant as shipping faces tightening regulatory pressure, including the International Maritime Organization's revised strategy to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping by or around 2050 and the inclusion of maritime emissions in the EU Emissions Trading System from 2024.

The installation on HANSA DREJOE was completed at Royal Niestern Sander Shipyard in early August. A sister vessel, HANSA CHRISTIANSOE, is currently at the same yard. Econowind estimates that the VentoFoils will provide approximately 10 percent additional thrust, yielding proportional reductions in fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. The calculation is based on the vessels' actual trading routes throughout the year. That margin matters because fuel costs typically rank among the largest operating expenses for shipowners, and even single-digit percentage efficiency gains can translate into meaningful savings over a vessel's service life.

"We see wind-assisted ship propulsion as a logical next step in our journey toward greener operations," said Christoph Meier, Naval Architect at Leonhardt & Blumberg. "Of course, the business case is important, but we also feel a responsibility to move the industry forward. Econowind's practical and well-developed technology allows us to do both, while gaining real operational experience along the way."

All four vessels were designed by Groot Ship Design. Two were delivered in the first half of 2025, while the remaining pair is currently under construction in China. The GROOT XL-type vessels were engineered from the outset for straightforward integration of wind-assisted propulsion, allowing optimal placement and seamless installation. The two vessels being built in China are expected to arrive in Europe during the first half of 2027 for final outfitting and commissioning.

"Our goal with VentoFoils is simple: to deliver measurable fuel savings with a clear business case," said Stijn Engelage, Sales Manager at Econowind. "Leonhardt & Blumberg's choice reflects their focus on proven technology and tangible results at sea. The systems will make a visible and immediate contribution to efficiency."

By pairing conventional propulsion with modern wind propulsion technology, Leonhardt & Blumberg is advancing a long-term strategy to improve fleet-wide efficiency. The VentoFoil installations are part of a broader initiative to explore complementary technologies that deliver measurable operational and environmental benefits. The project also adds to a growing portfolio of real-world wind-assisted propulsion deployments across European shipowners, generating operational data that the wider maritime sector can draw on as it evaluates similar retrofits and newbuild integrations.

VentoFoils are compact, autonomous wing systems capable of being tilted in seconds. The units employ boundary layer suction to generate additional thrust and optimize aerodynamic efficiency. The technology has been deployed across a range of vessel types, including general cargo ships, tankers, heavy-lift vessels, and multipurpose vessels.

Source: Econowind