Eastern Pacific Shipping places three suction sail orders with bound4blue

Singapore-based shipping company Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) will install three suction sails on one of its vessels in the fourth quarter of this year.

PHOTO: Digitally rendered image of bound4blue's suction sails on Pacific Sentinel. EPS

EPS has partnered with Spanish wind-assisted propulsion technology developer bound4blue for this project.

The shipping company will install three 22-metre suction sails on its 50,000 DWT oil and chemical tanker vessel, Pacific Sentinel, EPS said.

All three sails will use an autonomous control system to reduce the vessel's engine load and marine fuel consumption, it said.

The technology is based on active boundary layer control using suction. When switched on, the system will suck in air to re-adhere the airflow towards the sail to help in propulsion.

EPS expects to achieve a ‘wind assisted’ notation for the tanker from classification society ABS once the technology is installed.

The company expects to “reduce overall energy consumption by approximately 10%, depending on vessel routing,” after installing the sails, it said.  

By Aparupa Mazumder 

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