Amasus, a European shortsea, bulk, general cargo, offshore and heavy lift shipping company, has signed a fresh eSAIL® (suction sail) contract with Spain’s bound4blue to install a suction sail system on a general cargo vessel. The installation will set a new benchmark as the largest suction sail system on a general cargo ship.
Under the new agreement, a 22-meter unit will be retrofitted on a 90-meter, 2,876 dwt vessel at Astander Shipyard in Santander, scheduled for mid-2025.
Amasus sealed the deal with bound4blue after assessing the impact of its first suction sails on Eems Traveller, which has been sailing with two 17-meter eSAILs® since July 2023.
According to bound4blue, the autonomous system helps reduce vessel fuel use, OPEX and emissions to air, and enhances regulatory compliance.
Shipowners and operators that have signed contracts in the past year alone include Eastern Pacific Shipping, Odfjell, Marflet Marine, and Louis Dreyfus Company, amongst others.
A spokesperson for the Amasus team noted that they are considering new ways of working and new technological solutions. The decision to install the eSAILs® on the Eems Traveller was a tangible demonstration of that mindset.
Amasus says that third party validation of eSAIL® performance on the vessel by Lloyd’s Register is now being finalised.
The company also believes in the commercial and environmental sense in choosing wind as part of its evolving energy mix, and considers bound4blue as the right industry partner.
