Amasus Shipping has completed the installation of a second wind-assisted propulsion system from bound4blue, fitting a 22-metre eSAIL on the general cargo vessel Fluvius Tavy.
The installation was carried out at Astander Shipyard in Santander, Spain, and marks the largest suction sail ever installed on a general cargo vessel, bound4blue said on Wednesday.
The project follows the earlier installation of two 17-metre eSAILs on Amasus’ Eems Traveller, which was the first general cargo ship to be retrofitted with bound4blue’s suction sail technology.
The 22-metre unit was installed during a single scheduled yard stay using a plug-and-play process. Preparatory structural and electrical work was completed on deck before the fully pre-commissioned sail, manufactured in Spain by Haizea-Tecnoaranda, was lifted into position.
bound4blue said the installation is expected to deliver double-digit reductions in fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions.
“Our collaboration with Amasus continues to demonstrate that wind propulsion is gaining broader acceptance as a practical and commercially proven solution,” said José Miguel Bermúdez, CEO and co-founder of bound4blue.
“This installation is particularly significant as it is the largest suction sail ever fitted to a general cargo vessel and a clear endorsement of the value Amasus sees in our technology,” he added.
Amasus said its decision to proceed with a second installation was based on the performance and operational integration of the technology.
bound4blue’s autonomous eSAILs generate lift by drawing air across an aerodynamically optimised surface and have been retrofitted on vessels operated by shipowners including Odfjell, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs and Eastern Pacific Shipping.
