The Port of Bilbao has welcomed the ‘Onego Deusto’, a vessel operated by Onego Shipping & Chartering, as its first port of call after its departure from Rotterdam with eSail suction sails.
The eSails, developed by Spanish company bound4blue, are described as a significant milestone in the commitment of both the port itself and the shipping company to sustainability and to reducing the carbon footprint in maritime transport. This technological breakthrough establishes the vessel as a pioneer in the breakbulk cargo fleet equipped with wind-assisted propulsion.
The newly installed eSails are designed with active suction technology, enabling a significant reduction in fuel consumption – up to 15% in optimal conditions – thanks to the smart use of wind energy. Consequently, this direct improvement in the vessel’s energy efficiency has an immediate impact on the reduction of CO₂ emissions, meeting the growing demands of decarbonisation in global shipping.
On this maiden voyage with sustainable sails, the vessel, bound for the port of Houston, will be carrying O-Next pipes, from the Tubos Reunidos Group Net Zero pipe range, the first seamless steel pipe on the market with 0.0 CO₂ emissions.
The 132m long Onego Deusto is consigned by Bergé Marítima and stevedored by Servicios Logísticos Portuarios. The name of the ship is a tribute to the shipping company’s historical 20-year plus relationship with the Port of Bilbao, to its first calls in the Deusto Canal and to the close ties forged between the port and the shipowner. At present, the vessel is sailing twice a month, with the US Gulf, Houston, New Orleans and other ports in the Caribbean and on the East Coast of the USA as priority destinations.
The fact that Bilbao is its first port of call with suction sails is seen as recognition of this relationship, strengthening the strategic partnership with Onego and contributing to the common objective of promoting a cleaner, more responsible and competitive industry. At the same time, it further strengthens the relationship they have built up with the Tubos Reunidos Group for more than two decades, based on efficiency, innovation and respect for the environment.
Image: ‘Onego Deusto’ in Bilbao (source: Port of Bilbao)
