Posted on December 12, 2024
Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has strengthened its collaboration with bound4blue by contracting three 22-meter high eSAIL suction sails, according to the company’s release. The fully autonomous Wind Assisted Propulsion System (WAPS) will be installed on a newbuild MR Tanker by New Times Shipbuilding in Jiangsu Province, China in late 2025.
This agreement follows EPS’s first project with bound4blue earlier this year, which involved retrofitting three eSAILs on Pacific Sentinel, a 50,000dwt vessel, in February. Supporting decarbonisation bound4blue is experiencing a surge in orders for its DNV Type Approved system, which works by dragging air across an aerodynamic surface to generate propulsive efficiency.
This helps reduce vessel fuel use, OPEX and emissions to air, while also enhancing regulatory compliance. In 2024 alone, bound4blue saw exponential growth, increasing from four projects on the orderbook to fourteen, with four installations up and running. EPS’s decision to incorporate eSAIL technology aligns with its broader decarbonisation strategy, which includes dual-fuel vessels, biofuels, voyage optimization systems, and carbon capture technologies. eSAIL installation with bound4blue on newbuild Digitally rendered image of eSAILs on MR newbuild.
Singapore-headquartered EPS manages an extensive fleet comprising over 300 vessels with a combined DWT of 31 million. The flexibility of bound4blue’s eSAILs makes it suitable for both newbuilds and retrofits across the diverse vessel types, including, but not limited to, Tankers, Bulkers, Ro-Ros, Cruises, Ferries, Gas Carriers, and General Cargo vessels.
bound4blue develops automated wind-assisted propulsion systems as a turnkey solution for all shipowners and shipping companies seeking to reduce fuel costs and polluting emissions. bound4blue’s eSAIL system is a validated solution for saving fuel and emissions, completely autonomous, with low maintenance and easy installation onboard, being the most cost-efficient wind propulsion technology today. It is suitable for Tankers, Bulkers, Ro-Ros, Cruises, Ferries, Gas Carriers, and General Cargo vessels, regardless of their size or age. The company, founded in 2014 with a vocation clearly focused on the renewable energy sector in the maritime field, has its headquarters in Cantabria (Spain) and offices in Barcelona and Singapore. The company has installed its eSAIL system on four ships and has signed additional agreements with other shipowners like Maersk Tankers, Klaveness Combination Carriers, Amasus, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Marflet, Louis Dreyfus Company, Marubeni Corporation, Odfjell, Louis Dreyfus Company and SNA TUHA’A PAE to install the system on their fleets.
Eastern Pacific Shipping Pte. Ltd. (“EPS”) is a leading shipping company that is committed to the green and technology-driven growth of the industry. Headquartered in Singapore for the past 30 years, EPS is driven by its mission to be the safe and efficient transportation provider of choice to the shipping industry. Empowering that mission is a 6,000 strong and growing workforce across sea and shore. They oversee a versatile fleet of over 300 vessels and 31million deadweight-tonnes across four core segments of containership, dry bulk, gas and tanker vessels. EPS’ shore team is fully integrated with in-house commercial, finance, innovation, IT, legal, manning, operations, and technical departments.
