The Spanish cleantech engineering firm bound4blue has installed four 26-meter high eSAILs® on the MV Atlantic Orchard, a 35,584-dwt juice carrier. The eSAILs® are said to be the world’s largest suction sails ever installed. The sails were installed in under a day per unit during the vessel’s 10-year survey at Astander Shipyard, Santander, Spain. The ship is chartered by Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) and owned by Wisby Tankers AB, Sweden.

The 2014-built vessel was originally built as a dry bulk vessel before being converted to a juice carrier in 2020. With the new suction sails, the ship will benefit from fuel consumption and emission savings, projected to reach around 10% depending on its trade route. These savings will contribute towards compliance with FuelEU Maritime and other regulations, including the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) and the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).

“eSAILs offer a simple and economically beneficial route to reducing emissions across a wide range of vessel types, including this specialised segment,” said bound4blue chief executive and cofounder José Miguel Bermúdez.

The adoption of wind propulsion on Atlantic Orchard follows a detailed technology assessment undertaken by LDC’s decarbonisation team. Third-party input from Lloyd’s Register provided technical validation of available options, culminating in the selection of bound4blue’s autonomous suction sail system in late 2023.

Commenting on the project, LDC global head of freight Sébastien Landerretche stated it reflects the company’s broader goals for maritime decarbonisation.

“This marks a first step on a voyage that builds on our long shipping heritage,” he said, adding that operational feedback would be shared following the vessel’s first Brazil-Europe crossing with the system in use.

This latest installation marks the third so far this year for bound4blue, underscoring the company’s ability to deliver, scale its technology and oversee its deployment. It is the latest in a series of recent installations that has seen the DNV Type Approved suction sails fitted to vessels ranging from MR Tankers to general cargo and ro-ro vessels.

The eSAIL® produces six to seven times more lift than a conventional sail or, in other words, it can deliver the same propelling force with six to seven times less surface. All this with minimal power consumption and no mechanical complexity (no inertial loads, vibrations, constant movement, etc.) ensuring simple, safe and reliable operations.

bound4blue eSAILs® installation on the MV Atlantic Orchard