Wind-powered Onego Deusto makes its first port call after refit

Onego Deusto—a multipurpose vessel owned by Dutch shipping company Onego Shipping & Chartering—has embarked on its first voyage with a wind propulsion solution on board.

The wind-powered 9,800-ton ship arrived at the Spanish Port of Bilbao from the Port of Rotterdam on May 12, 2025. From there, the 2008-built vessel will continue its transatlantic voyage.

Onego Deusto was recently equipped with VentoFoil wind propulsion units provided by Dutch wind propulsion technology firm Econowind.

The installation of the VentoFoil units on the geared flagship vessel is said to represent a strategic move to harness wind power, aiming to cut fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The recent installation is part of a wider Onego’s sustainability strategy as the company is committed to reducing its environmental footprint.

“The primary objectives of this initiative are to maintain vessel speed while reducing the main engine power, with a targeted 10% reduction in carbon emissions. This pioneering effort is the first instance of wind propulsion systems being installed on Onego vessels, paving the way for more environmentally friendly maritime operations,” Marcel van Eijsden, CEO of Onego, commented.

On this first sustainable voyage, O-Next pipes from the Tubos Reunidos Group will be loaded onto the ship for transport to the Port of Houston, the USA.

The 132-meter-long multipurpose singledeck/tweendeck box-shaped open-hatch Onego Deusto is chartered by Bergé Marítima and was loaded by Servicios Logisticos Portuarios (SLP). It currently makes two departures per month, mainly to the US Gulf, Houston and New Orleans, as well as to other ports in the Caribbean and the US East Coast.

In related news, Econowind recently received €1 million in development capital from Invest International, an investor and financing partner on behalf of the Dutch government, to develop and test its steel wind sail for the deep-sea shipping market.

The company intends to use these funds to advance and introduce its VentoFoil XL, a 24-30 meter high steel wind sail inspired by aviation technology.