Covestro and HGK Shipping are retrofitting the coastal vessel Amadeus Titanium with a wind assistance system to advance sustainable maritime logistics.
Since late March 2026, the vessel, operated by Amadeus Schiffahrts- und Speditions GmbH, a subsidiary of HGK Shipping, has been able to transport Covestro products on European short-sea routes with significantly lower fuel consumption and emissions.
The ship was equipped with VentoFoils® from Econowind at Harlingen, the Netherlands.
The technology harnesses wind energy to support the vessel’s propulsion system, delivering average fuel savings of around 10 per cent, which also translates into a comparable reduction in CO2 emissions.
Nils Peterzelka, Sourcing Manager, Regional Bulk Shipping at Covestro, said: “A very long cooperation arrangement based on trust connects us with our logistics partner, HGK Shipping. The equipment installed on board the Amadeus Titanium represents another important step within this relationship and is enabling us to make our supply chains even more sustainable.”
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Steffen Bauer, CEO of the HGK Group and HGK Shipping, highlighted the broader implications: “Technological progress will create more options to complete transport logistics operations in the maritime sector and inland waterways with lower emissions. Working with strategic partners such as Covestro, we’re seizing opportunities in drive technologies and vessel design, often in conjunction with our customers.”
The partnership between Covestro and HGK Shipping dates back many years in inland waterway and short-sea transport.
At the transport logistic trade fair in Munich in 2025, the companies extended their cooperation arrangement until 2040, securing exclusive transport of Covestro products on European short-sea routes via the Amadeus Titanium.
For more information:
Covestro – https://www.covestro.com/en
HGK Shipping – https://hgkshipping.de/en/home-en/
