Baltic Shipping Company A/S has taken delivery of a new coaster, MV Baltic Timber, equipped with wind-assisted propulsion technology and a hybrid battery system.

The vessel, with a capacity of 3,550 DWT and 185,000 cubic feet, departed on its maiden voyage on 10 July, carrying cargo loaded at the port of Immingham, on the Humber Estuary in England.

MV Baltic Timber has been fitted with two Econowind VentoFoils — a wind-assisted propulsion system that the company says is expected to reduce fuel consumption by up to 12%. The VentoFoil technology, developed by Dutch firm Econowind, uses rigid aerofoil structures to generate thrust from wind energy, thereby reducing reliance on the main engine and lowering fuel consumption and associated CO₂ emissions.

In addition to the wind-assisted propulsion system, the vessel has been delivered with a battery package, making it a hybrid vessel.

Baltic Shipping Company noted that as pressure to reduce CO₂ emissions continues to grow, wind-assisted propulsion represents “one of the most practical and effective steps we, as an operator, can take to improve the environmental performance of our fleet.”