Bound4blue Completes Suction Sail Installation on Marflet Marine's Tanker
Key Takeaways
- •Bound4blue installed four 22-meter eSAIL suction sails on Marflet Marine's 49,999 DWT chemical tanker Santiago I.
- •The wind propulsion system is expected to reduce the vessel's annual energy consumption by about 10-15%, depending on trading patterns and weather conditions.
- •The retrofit is intended to lower fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while reducing EU ETS carbon costs and supporting FuelEU Maritime compliance.
- •Final installation work was completed at EDR Antwerp Shipyard after wind-ready preparation at IMC Shipyard in Zhoushan, China, with engineering support from Cotenaval.
- •Marflet Marine, which signed the contract in May 2024, is now the first Spanish merchant fleet shipowner to operate suction sails.
Bound4blue has completed the installation of a wind propulsion system on Marflet Marine's chemical tanker.
Four 22 m eSAIL suction sails were installed on the 49,999 DWT Santiago I, Bound4blue said in an emailed statement on Thursday.
The system is expected to reduce the vessel's annual energy consumption by around 10-15%, depending on its trading patterns and weather conditions.
The installation is also expected to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, while helping the vessel lower its exposure to carbon costs under the EU ETS and support compliance with FuelEU Maritime. The EU ETS has since 2024 extended to maritime transport, requiring shipoperators to surrender allowances for a portion of their emissions, while FuelEU Maritime sets gradually tightening limits on the greenhouse gas intensity of energy used by ships calling at EU ports from 2025.
The work was completed at EDR Antwerp Shipyard following wind-ready preparation work at IMC Shipyard in Zhoushan, China. Cotenaval provided engineering support for the project.
Marflet Marine signed the contract with Bound4blue in May 2024. The installation makes the company the first Spanish merchant fleet shipowner to operate suction sails. It is part of a broader wave of wind-assisted propulsion retrofits in commercial shipping, as owners seek fuel savings and regulatory compliance through technologies such as rotor sails, rigid sails, and suction sails.
The eSAIL system uses a powered surface to generate lift and provide additional propulsive force, reducing the load on the vessel's main engine.
Source: Ship & Bunker
