Maersk Tankers to fit suction sails on five ships
Biggest single order yet for Bound4blue’s sails
Maersk Tankers will try suction sails on five MR tankers to cut emissions, the latest in a string of orders for the technology
MAERSK Tankers said it will install 20 suction sails on five MR tankers to help cut CO2 emissions.
The Danish tanker operator’s order is the biggest yet for Spanish sail maker Bound4blue, which has had its eSAIL system installed on four ships to date.
The sails drag air across an aerodynamic surface to generate lift, helping engine efficiency.
A statement said the companies expected “double-digit reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per vessel”.
Bound4blue chief executive José Bermudez called the order a “key milestone” for his company, which was founded in 2014 and based in Cantabria, on Spain’s north coast.
“The trust Maersk Tankers has placed in our technology reinforces the proven capabilities of our solution in reducing fuel consumption and emissions, while contributing to CII and FuelEU regulatory compliance,” he said.
Maersk Tankers chief investment officer Claus Gronborg said implementing wind-assisted propulsion systems at scale would let his customers meet their sustainability targets while advancing the objectives of FuelEU Maritime and the EU emissions trading system.
Maersk Tankers operates more than 240 tankers and gas carriers. It said four 26-metre high sails would be fitted on five vessels: Maersk Tacoma (IMO: 9708617), Maersk Tampa (IMO: 9708629), Maersk Tangier (IMO: 9726451), Maersk Teesport (IMO: 9726463) and Maersk Tokyo (IMO: 9718076) during drydocking in 2025 and 2026.
Bound4blue has orders from shipowners including Eastern Pacific Shipping, Marflet Marine, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, Marubeni, Odfjell and Klaveness.
In October, Dutch company Amusus Shipping became its first repeat customer, ordering a 22 m suction sail for a 3,000 dwt general cargoship.
At the time, Bound4blue would not say how much the deal was worth, nor the expected payback period.
Wind-assisted propulsion systems have had more shipowner interest in the past two years as owners seek ways to comply with green regulations.
But technical hurdles mean not all ships can use them yet. The wind lobby and class societies have complained that outdated rules and lack of standards are holding the technology back.
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