In Kuala Lumpur, Hull Vane BV signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lumut Naval Shipyard (LUNAS) to explore the integration of Hull Vane® technology into naval and defence vessels in the Asia-Pacific region.
The agreement was formalised at Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2026, marking another step in Hull Vane’s expanding activities in Southeast Asia.
The MoU builds on Hull Vane’s ongoing presence in Malaysia. In 2024, a licensing agreement with Hayat Lestari Holdings established local manufacturing capabilities and enabled regional supply.
Engagement with LUNAS extends this cooperation further, moving from component-level delivery towards integration at vessel design level, allowing hydrodynamic optimisation to be incorporated from the earliest stages of a project.
“Working with LUNAS allows us to move further upstream in the design process,” said Niels Moerke, CEO of Hull Vane BV. “By integrating Hull Vane® from the outset, performance gains can be optimised within the overall hull design.”
Photo: LUNAS
Performance and operational benefits
Under the MoU, Hull Vane and LUNAS will jointly assess applications for both newbuild and retrofit naval platforms.
Expected benefits of the technology include:
- Fuel savings in the range of approximately 5–15%, depending on vessel type and operational profile
- Improved seakeeping through reduced vessel motions
- Reduced emissions in line with evolving operational and regulatory requirements
- Extended operational range for patrol and support missions
Hull Vane® operates without active crew intervention and can be integrated without affecting key vessel characteristics such as draft or dynamic positioning capability.
Proven across vessel types
The cooperation follows a series of installations across commercial and naval vessel types worldwide. With more than 100 units ordered to date, Hull Vane® has demonstrated performance improvements across applications ranging from ferries to offshore patrol vessels.
Strategic relevance
For LUNAS, integration of Hull Vane® into its naval shipbuilding portfolio provides an additional validated efficiency solution, supporting the increasing focus on lifecycle cost reduction and operational efficiency.
For Hull Vane, the agreement strengthens its position in the Asia-Pacific region by combining regional industrial capability with shipyard-level integration.
The road ahead
Hull Vane and LUNAS will identify initial candidate projects for implementation, with a focus on patrol vessels and support ships, while also assessing opportunities for larger naval platforms.
The collaboration reflects a broader shift in naval shipbuilding, where hydrodynamic efficiency and operational performance are increasingly treated as integral design parameters rather than optional enhancements.