First Eco Flettner refit underway
4200 dwat vessel ‘Fehn Pollux’ will be the first ship to be equipped with the prototype of a newly developed sail propulsion system which will save significant fuel cost: The Eco Flettner.
The Flettner Rotor device consists of a 18 metre high cylinder with a diameter of three metres. Since May 2015, the rotor has been thoroughly tested on land and passed all tests successfully.
“We are all very pleased that this project is going into its realization phase,” said Matthias Hesse, Managing Director of Fehn Ship Management. “We have been working on alternative ship propulsion systems for a long time, so we immediately agreed when we were asked by Mariko in Leer if we wanted to participate in the project. We have already invested a lot of time in this project and we will do our part to make the test a success. “
Fehn Pollux has already passed her first sea trials – if only in the computer: The vessel including the Eco-Flettner has been virtually generated in the ‘Susanne’ navigation simulator, at the University of Emden / Leer.
“While the ship is being rebuilt in Leer, our nautical officers will be able to handle the vessel with Eco-Flettner in the simulator and gain initial experience,” said Matthias Hesse.
By Jake Frith
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