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Eastern Pacific Shipping taking wind propulsion plunge on chemical tanker

Singapore-based Ofer family company, Eastern Pacific Shipping, is to install three 22-metre eSails from bound4blue, on board the 2019-built chemical tanker, Pacific Sentinel, later this year.

Paul Bartlett, Correspondent

February 22, 2024

1 Min Read
EPS signing Ceremony with bound4blue
Jose Miguel Bermudez, Managing Director of bound4blue; Cyril Ducau, Chief Executive Officer of EPS; Christopher J. Wiernicki, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ABSPhoto: bound4blue

The Barcelona-based wind sail developer has various projects in progress, including an eSail retrofit on the Odfjell owned chemical tanker, Bow Olympus, also built in 2019. This installation will also take place later this year.

The 50,332 dwt Pacific Sentinel is scheduled to have her wind assisted propulsion system (WAPS) retrofit during the fourth quarter of this year.

The eSails, which operate on suction sail technology, are likely to cut fuel consumption and emissions by about 10%, according to estimates.

Sail operation will be managed by an autonomous control system that optimises power, engine load and fuel consumption automatically, without any crew involvement. The eSail setup has few moving parts which, it is claimed, leads to low maintenance requirements.

Commenting on the company’s latest deal, bound4blue CEO and co-founder José Miguel Bermudez said: “Signing an agreement with an industry player of the scale and reputation of EPS not only highlights the growing recognition of wind-assisted propulsion as a vital solution for maximising both environmental and commercial benefits, but also underscores the confidence industry leaders have in our proven technology.”

eSAILs on Pacific Sentinel tanker

Cyril Ducau, CEO of the Singapore ship management company, commented on the company’s decarbonisation strategy. “Over the last six years, our investments in projects including dual-fuel vessels, carbon capture, biofuels, voyage optimisation technology and more, have allowed us to reduce our emissions intensity by 30% and achieve an Annual Efficiency Ratio of 3.6 CO2g/dwt-mile in 2023, outperforming our emission intensity targets ahead of schedule.” 

Related:Chemship retrofits world’s first wind-assisted chemical tanker

In February 2023 EPS completed the groundbreaking installation of carbon capture solution on the tanker Pacific Cobalt. EPS manages a diversified fleet of 250 vessels in excess of 25 million dwt.

 

About the Author

Paul Bartlett

Correspondent

UK-based Paul Bartlett is a maritime journalist and consultant with over four decades of experience in international shipping, including ship leasing, project finance and financial due diligence procedures.

Paul is a former Editor of Seatrade magazine, which later became Seatrade Maritime Review, and has contributed to a range of Seatrade publications over the years including Seatrade’s Green Guide, a publication investigating early developments in maritime sustainability initiatives, and Middle East Workboats and Offshore Marine, focusing on the vibrant market for such vessels across that region.

In 2002, Paul set up PB Marine Consulting Ltd and has worked on a variety of consultancy projects during the last two decades. He has also contributed regular articles on the maritime sector for a range of shipping publications and online services in Europe, Asia, and the US.

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