Bureau Veritas assesses bound4blue’s new suction sail design
Classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) has awarded a Design Assessment to Spanish wind-assisted propulsion technology company bound4blue’s new suction sail system.
IMAGE: Combination carrier MV Baltazar equipped with two suction sails. bound4blue
The assessment confirms that the design has been independently reviewed against BV’s technical requirements.
The new suction sail is available in heights ranging from 24-36 metres and has been developed to maximise the contribution of wind propulsion on larger vessels. The system uses boundary-layer suction to draw air across an aerodynamic surface, generating propulsive force that bound4blue says can be up to seven times greater than that of rigid sails of the same size.
Designed as a plug-and-play solution, the system can be installed on both existing vessels and newbuilds. Its 24-metre version became the first to be commercially installed earlier this year, when it was fitted aboard Klaveness Combination Carriers’ newbuild, MV Baltazar.
bound4blue now has more than 50 units on order, with installations completed on 13 vessels over the past year.
Wind-assisted propulsion is gaining momentum as shipowners seek practical ways to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. By supplementing conventional engine power with wind-generated thrust, WAPS can improve vessel efficiency, while lowering fuel use.
The latest development follows several moves in the sector. Earlier this month, classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) independently assessed marine engineering company SunRui’s WAPS.
Meanwhile, bound4blue has installed four 22-metre rigid suction sails on Marflet Marine’s 50,000-dwt chemical tanker Santiago I. A.P. Moller-Maersk has selected UK-based Anemoi Marine Technologies to supply a rotor sail system for one of its container vessels.
Swedish shipping firm Wallenius Lines has ordered a WAPS retrofit for an LNG-capable dual-fuel vehicle carrier, while Norwegian tanker operator Odfjell has ordered a WAPS retrofit for a second tanker.
By Tuhin Roy
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