Spanish suction sails developer bound4blue has secured its first contract for a newbuild vessel.
The company has been selected to install a 22-m-high eSAIL system onboard the multipurpose cargo ship Na Pae e Hiro, set to deliver in 2026.
The newbuild will operate between Tahiti and the remote Austral Islands in the South Pacific for SNA Tuhaa Pae, carrying both supplies and up to 200 tourists.
Bound4blue’s suction sail, which the company says generates seven times more lift than a conventional airplane wing, is expected to help the ship cut energy consumption by 10%.
The company was also recently selected by Rotterdam-based agricultural giant Louis Dreyfus Company to retrofit one of its chartered juice carriers with four 26-m-high eSAILs in 2024.
David Ferrer, co-founder and chief technology officer at bound4blue, said: “This is a standout contract for bound4blue, marking the first time our technology has been chosen for a newbuild, after a very competitive international tender process. We believe this demonstrates the growing appreciation of our unique offer and expertise within the global marketplace.”
The 89-m-long vessel will be built at Armon Shipyard in Vigo, Spain, with naval architecture delivered by compatriot Cotenaval and consultancy by France’s ECO. In addition to the eSail, the newbuild will feature engines capable of running on biofuel or e-fuel, as soon as it becomes commercially available in the region. The project is backed by the French government’s Appel à Manifestation d’intérêt initiative.
