Parlevliet & Van der Plas B.V. and SkySails begin practical tests of SkySails towing-kite propulsion for fishing trawlers.
The SkySails-System was successfully placed into operation aboard Germany’s largest fishing vessel – the ROS-171 Maartje Theadora – on the North Sea near Ijmuiden, Netherlands on 8 March.
This innovative wind-propulsion system from the Hamburg-based manufacturer SkySails will help save large amounts of fuel and emissions. The maiden voyage of Maartje Theadora heralds the use of regenerative energy sources in deep-sea fishing.
“As one of Europe’s biggest fishing companies, we consider it an important duty to not only promote sustainable fishing, but to take a leading role in making it a reality. For us, sustainable in this context means acting in a manner that makes both good economic and ecological sense. And so, by combining our MSC-certified pelagic shoal fishery with the innovative SkySails propulsion system, we intend to realise major savings in fuel and costs, while at the same time significantly reducing the adverse effects on the environment caused by harmful emissions – first by employing the system during those long transfer runs and then, looking to the future, during direct fishing operations,” says Dr Uwe Richter, the Managing Director of Westbank Hochseefischerei GmbH, which belongs to the Parlevliet & Van der Plas B.V. Group and is responsible for the technical and commercial operation of the Maartje Theadora.
Sailing under the flag of Germany, Maartje Theadora is 141m long and its main propulsion consists of two MaK engines that produce a total of 8,640kW of power. The crew comprises over 40 members during fishing trips. A 160m² SkySails towing-kite propulsion system works to relieve the ship’s main engine.
SkySails propulsion is already in use aboard the cargo ships Beluga SkySails, Michael A and Theseus. The system is currently being installed on two other cargo new builds, and SkySails has a number of additional orders on its books.
The concept of towing-kite wind propulsion has proven itself fully capable onboard ships, and the tractive forces that were measured make the SkySails-System the most powerful and effective wind-propulsion system in the world. Thanks to its unique physical properties, the system produces between 5 and 25 times more power per square meter than conventional sail propulsion. A 160m2 SkySails generates a tractive force of 8 metric tons, which is comparable to the thrust of an Airbus A318 engine.
