bound4blue’s suction sail concepts are gaining momentum

Cristina Aleixendri, Co-founder and COO, bound4blue
Share it now

After installing single 12m-high and fully-tiltable 17m-high suction sails on a longliner and on a general cargo ship respectively, the latter being the largest suction sail ever built and installed, wind-assist and sail developer, bound4blue, is optimistic the future offers even more opportunity in the field of wind-powered maritime propulsion.

In the third in a series of interviews ahead of Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East, bound4blue co-founder and COO Cristina Aleixendri spoke to Seatrade Maritime News about developments in the industry.

“We have already signed agreements with shipowners Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, France, Marubeni Corporation, Japan, and Amasus Shipping, Netherlands, for three different ship types: general cargo, ro-ro and bulker,” she said.

“On these projects, we will be installing more than one sail unit per ship – and on a larger scale. As you can see, we are setting new records and we will go further next year, with installations in more segments – as well as on newbuilds – and for shipowners in other geographies.”

The bound4blue suction sails are suitable for tankers, bulkers, RoRos, cruise ships, ferries and general cargo ships, regardless of ship size or age. “At bound4blue we offer a portfolio of different eSAIL sizes ranging from 12m to 36m. Depending on the ship, we choose the optimal size, number and layout on deck,” she said.

“Of course, not all ships can benefit from wind propulsion systems. If there is no wind, there are no savings. Wind propulsion is not the most suitable solution for container ships due to lack of deck space. The good side of the story is that a large part of the merchant fleet can benefit from this type of solution.”

The amount of fuel and emissions savings achieved depends on the number and size of sails installed, the ship’s route and the ship’s characteristics. An MR tanker with three 26-meter eSAILs would save 845 tons of fuel annually on the route from New York to Rotterdam, which corresponds to an annual saving of 2,671 tons of CO2. A Capesize bulker with eight 36-meter eSAILs would save 2,856 tons of fuel annually on the route from Tubarao to Qingdao, which corresponds to an annual saving of 9,052 tons of CO2. Aleixendri said such values ​​were obtained assuming sails were used as co-propulsion and without optimizing the routes.

“Of course, just as sails of the past enabled ships to sail around the world, we could also use their modern equivalent to provide 100% of the power required by the ship. However, feasibility does not mean simple implementation. Although we are starting to see shipowners designing new vessels powered solely by wind, we are far from seeing an industry standard as the technology brings with it several challenges, particularly on the operations side,” she said.
bound4blue
First studied by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the 1930s as a means of reducing aircraft fuel burn, the eSAIL is a new design based on the naturally aspirated concept. Jacques Cousteau wanted to develop an eco-vessel for exploration using wind-assisted propulsion, leading to the development of the first suction sail. Unlike aircraft suction wings, such a sail has a thicker profile and uses suction to generate large lift forces.

Essentially, it combines the positive attributes of a conventional fixed wing sail – ease of use and excellent upwind performance – with active boundary layer control techniques based on suction, preventing stalling and achieving high lift coefficients, similar to rotors. This results in smaller and lighter sails for corresponding savings.

“The eSAIL combines the advantages of fixed-wing sails and rotor sails, but avoids their disadvantages,” she said.

The difficulty in going from concept to reality is mastering and properly grouping knowledge in different areas – aerodynamics, marine engineering, shipyard work, ship operations, port operations – to create an optimal product tailored to the needs of the market .

“By successfully completing this process, we now have the tools to provide the optimum sail layout that minimizes the payback period for each vessel. We take a holistic approach and not only look at the aerodynamic performance of the sail, but also other factors such as ship operation,” she said.

“When developing our technology, we consider manufacturing, installation and human factors – to ensure our products are user-friendly and safe so crews are ready to use them. I can proudly say that, according to our customers, we offer a solution that offers the best balance between fuel savings and costs.”

Cristina Aleixendri, co-founder and COO of bound4blue, will be speaking at the Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 16 to 18 May 2023.

Source: News Network

Share it now