LPG, petrochemicals and speciality gas transport company BW Epic Kosan (BWEK) has signed an agreement with Spanish company bound4blue for the installation of a 24m eSail suction sail on the 2007-buit ‘Helena Kosan’.
The autonomous wind propulsion system, to be installed in 2026, will allow BWEK to save fuel, cut emissions, reduce costs and simplify regulatory compliance, as the Singapore-based company invests to support industry decarbonisation goals.
José Miguel Bermúdez, CEO and co-founder, bound4blue, said: “The tanker and LPG market is a key growth area for bound4blue, so it’s fantastic to agree a contract with the world leader in last-mile delivery of LPG, petrochemicals and other specialty gases. Our mechanically simple solution delivers unique benefits for the segment, with the ability to position the sail’s maintenance door far above the deck and thus entirely remove the system from hazardous areas. This means non-explosion proof units can be installed easily on a vessel such as an LPG carrier, or any other tanker, negating the need for more costly, complex ATEX-proof solutions. When this simplicity is added to the proven performance and benefits of the system, which is also compact in size due to its exceptional propulsive efficiency, you have a technology perfectly suited to help owners such as BWEK meet ambitious commercial and environmental goals. We’re thrilled to partner with the team for this exciting project.”
The DNV Type Approved eSail works by dragging air across an aerodynamic surface to generate lift up to seven times greater than rigid sails of the same size, said to deliver higher power through smaller vessel footprints. In doing so, fuel use and emissions are reduced, easing compliance with regulations such as EU ETS, CII, FuelEU Maritime (with additional benefits through the wind reward factor) and the newly proposed IMO GFI framework.
Recent orders for eSails have been placed by companies such as Maersk Tankers, Marflet Marine and Klaveness Combination Carriers, with new installations completed for Odfjell, Eastern Pacific Shipping and Louis Dreyfus Company.
Jakob Bode, CEO, BWEK, said: “We are committed to investing in proven technology that supports and enables our drive to reduce operational environmental footprints. We have so far introduced a range of innovations including ultrasonic transducers, graphene-based propeller coatings and advanced weather routing to cut emissions and empower efficiencies, in addition to actively participating in projects to advance the adoption of green fuels such as ammonia. Wind power was identified as having potential and, after careful studies, bound4blue’s eSail was selected as the system of choice. We look forward to benefitting from its simplicity and efficacy in action on the Helena Kosan from 2026 onwards.”
The installation will be carried out in a simple two-step process, with preparatory work conducted at a scheduled dry docking in 2025 and a ‘plug and play’ fitting of the unit the following year. bound4blue says its eSails are suitable for both newbuilds and retrofitting across the majority of vessel segments, including, but not limited to, tankers, bulkers, ro-ros, cruise ships, ferries, gas carriers, and general cargo vessels. The technology is considered to offer a typical payback period of less than five years.
Image: ‘Helena Kosan’ is to be fitted with bound4blue’s eSail (source: bound4blue)
