Fehn Ship Management’s 4,200 dwt general cargo vessel Fehn Pollux, which has been fitted with the Eco Flettner rotor has completed its sea trials in the North Sea.
The vessel, fitted with the new sail propulsion system, will now return to service, between ports in the Baltic, the North Sea, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. During the next 12 months, scientists from the University for Applied Science Emden/Leer will continue to monitor the rotor’s performance.
One of the main tasks for the team of Fehn Ship Management was to prepare Fehn Pollux for the installation of the 37-tonne rotor on the forecastle.
This included strengthening the hull structure and securing the rotor foundation. New wires had to be fitted between the forecastle and the bridge to connect the Eco Flettner with its control console.
The crew were also trained to manoeuvre the Flettner-equipped vessel in various situations in a ship handling simulator in Leer.
The Eco Flettner project aims to save on the consumption of fuel, limiting the output of harmful exhausts by commercial shipping.
“Fehn Pollux will be a unique vessel,” said Matthias Hesse, managing director of Fehn Ship Management. “We always speak of ‘sailing’ when talking about a vessel moving from one port to another. Now, Fehn Pollux is the only vessel in our fleet which truly sails.”
