Development of VentoFoils XL for Sustainable Wind-Assisted Ship Propulsion

Project Overview & Objectives

As part of the Green & Digital Maritime Innovation Ecosystem Northern Netherlands (GDMIEN-NL) supported by the Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland (SNN), consortium partners are collaborating on the development of large-scale wind-assist propulsion systems for deep-sea vessels: the VentoFoil XL.

The project focuses on 30-metre-high vertical wings featuring advanced boundary layer suction technology. By converting wind energy directly into zero-emission forward thrust, the system is engineered to reduce fossil fuel consumption and significantly lower CO2 and NO2 emissions across global maritime transit profiles.

Building upon operational data from 10-metre to 16-metre coastal installations, this Valorisation project covers the engineering, construction, and full-scale vessel demonstration of a 30-metre VentoFoil XL prototype. Key technical innovations include:

• Next-Generation Suction Aerodynamics: A redesigned internal suction layout engineered to enable aerodynamic scalability up to 30 metres.

• Autonomous Digital Control: Real-time AI-based trim and angle adjustment driven by Digital Twin modeling to match variable ocean wind fields.

As 16m VentoFoils are successfully applied as wind-assisted propulsion systems on dozens of coasters nowadays, the 30m VentoFoil XL supports the upscaling of wind-assisted propulsion to ocean-going shipping. The market of hundreds of large bulkcarriers and tankers opens perspectives for standardisation and digitalized series production of the 30m VentoFoil XL.

The VentoFoil XL was developed by the partners and built in Fryslan and successfully tested in a FAT at the production location in Heeg, both vertical and tilted, see pictures.

In the coming months the VentoFoil XL will be demonstrated on a seagoing vessel to determine and validate the potential fuel savings and emission reductions of CO2 and NOx.

Consortium Partners:

Conoship International B.V., Econowind B.V., Bijlsma Marine Services B.V., Boomsma Shipping B.V., NHL Stenden Hogeschool / Maritime Institute Willem Barendsz (MIWB), and German-Dutch Wind Tunnels (DNW).