Wind propulsion continues to gain recognition as one of the key components of shipping’s decarbonisation strategy with Rotterdam-based agricultural giant Louis Dreyfus Company selecting its chartered juice carrier for the installation of four suction sails developed by Spanish engineering firm bound4blue.
The 2014-built Atlantic Orchard owned by Sweden’s Wisby Tankers will be retrofitted with four 26-m-high eSAILs in 2024 for an expected annual fuel consumption and CO2 emissions reduction by at least 10%.
The eSAIL system leverages a thick aerodynamic profile and intelligent suction mechanisms to enhance propulsive efficiency, yielding seven times more lift than an airplane wing, bound4blue explained.
The decision to implement this technology was based on a third-party assessment study carried out by Lloyd’s Register, which evaluated a range of solutions and reportedly identified bound4blue’s suction sails as the most promising. According to bound4blue, its sails are suitable for tankers, bulkers, roros, gas carriers, general cargo vessels as well as cruisers and ferries, regardless of their size or age.
The retrofit project is co-funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC) Acceleration Program. Earlier this year, Louis Dreyfus Company, LNG containment system leader GTT and the European Commission, among other parties, invested in bound4blue’s €15.9m ($17m) Series A funding round, becoming shareholders.
