Danish giant Maersk Tankers has inked a major wind propulsion retrofit deal with Spain’s bound4blue.
The agreement is the largest wind assisted propulsion system agreement for bound4blue to date, with 20 of the company’s type approved eSAIL® suction sails to be installed on five MR tankers in 2025 and 2026.
The company will supply and install 20 26-meter eSAILs® across five separate MR vessels.
Four of the turnkey units (20 in total) will be installed on the Maersk Tankers vessels, Maersk Tacoma, Maersk Tampa, Maersk Tangier, Maersk Teesport, and Maersk Tokyo.
Bound4blue says that it expects “double-digit percentage reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per vessel.”
The autonomous eSAILs® work by dragging air across an aerodynamic surface to generate lift and exceptional propulsive efficiency, reducing fuel consumption, OPEX and emissions.
José Miguel Bermúdez, CEO and co-founder at bound4blue, describes the order as a “key milestone”.
Claus Grønborg, chief investment officer in Maersk Tankers said: “For the tanker industry to progress in the energy transition, concrete investments and actions are essential. At Maersk Tankers, we are committed to leading by example, continuously adopting advanced energy-efficient technologies to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
“By implementing Wind-Assisted Propulsion Systems at scale in our fleet, we enable our customers to meet their sustainability targets, while also advancing the objectives of FuelEU Maritime and the EU Emissions Trading System.”
Maersk Tankers, with over 240 tankers and gas carriers in operation, first introduced wind assisted propulsion system technology to its fleet in 2018 with the installation of rotor sails on the Maersk Pelican.
