In 2011, O-foil is to receive a subsidy from the Ministry of Transport and Public Works under the Innovation Inland Navigation subsidy scheme. O-foil will use the subsidy for studying the draft design of a 86-metre cargo ship and testing a new version of the propulsion mechanism on a scale model. O-foil applied for the subsidy together with an inland shipping company. read more……

Scale model tests have been conducted and the first test results look very promising. The model gets up to a speed of 5.5 km/h. That is the equivalent of 16.7 km/h at 350kW for a ship measuring 2225 tonnes. During the testing phase, O-foil invited potential consortium partners, financiers and ship owners on board. Their response was very positive. read more…….

On 4 August, the scale model was launched and the first trial run was successfully completed. We used the model to imitate a large inland vessel and used 2500 kg of sandbags for the ship’s load. The model is currently being optimised, after which it will be prepared for future trial runs. During these runs, we will carefully monitor the speed and frequency once again.

Thanks to the Maritime Innovation Programme (MIP) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, O-foil has been able to conduct a feasibility study into the O-foil technology. The O-foil has been included in the MIP Project Book 2007-2009. Click here for a look at the cover & the contents of the MIP Project Book. You can read the O-foil article on page 20.