Louis Dreyfus Armateurs to install suction sail system on a RoRo vessel

French shipowner Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) has partnered with wind-assisted propulsion technology developer bound4blue to install a suction sail system on a roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessel.

PHOTO: Illustration of LDA's vessel with suction sail system. bound4blue

The wind-assisted propulsion technology called the ‘eSAIL’ “creates as much as six to seven times more lift than a conventional rigid sail,” Spain-based bound4blue claims.

When switched on, the system will suck in air to re-adhere the airflow towards sail to help in propulsion. This delivers savings in fuel consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

The RoRo vessel, Ville de Bordeaux, will be fitted with three 22-metre-high suction sails ahead of a six-month monitoring period commencing in 2024.

bound4blue expects these suction sails to “deliver fuel and CO2 emissions savings of up to 560 tons and 1,800 tons respectively for this ship annually.”

The vessel is chartered to aircraft company Airbus and transports aircraft parts from Europe to Mobile in the US. The installation of sails will be co-funded by the European Union, LDA says.

Wind-assisted propulsion is one of the ways to help reduce emissions from shipping, LDA’s transport & logistic manager Mathieu Muzeau says.

Wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS) have been gaining popularity among shipowners as they look for technologies that can boost vessel performance, reduce fuel use, and enhance sustainability.

Last month, a bulk carrier chartered by US-based multinational firm Cargill was retrofitted with rotor sails to reduce fuel consumption. Also, Norwegian chemical tanker company Odfjell partnered with wind-assisted propulsion technology developer bound4blue to install a suction sail system on one of its chemical tankers.

By Tuhin Roy

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