Eastern Pacific to install suction sails on first newbuilding

Ofer family company Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has signed a contract with Spanish wind sail firm, bound4blue, for three 22 metre eSAILS to be installed late in 2025 on a new tanker currently being built at New Times Shipbuilding in Jiangsu Province, China.

The order follows the retrofit of three eSAILS on the company’s 2019-built 50,000 dwt medium range products tanker, Pacific Sentinel, in February.

The project is the latest in a series of initiatives in the shipping company’s decarbonisation strategy. These include dual-fuel vessels, the use of new marine fuels including biofuels, voyage optimisation systems, and carbon capture technologies.

This year has been something of a watershed for the wind assisted propulsion system (WAPS) developer. Its eSAIL technology is suitable for new and existing vessels including tankers, bulk carriers, gas ships, ro-ro’s, general cargo vessels, ferries and cruise ships and its orderbook has climbed from just four to fourteen projects since January.

It is the first time that EPS will be installing a WAP system onboard a newbuilding .EPS Decarbonisation Manager, Mirtcho Spassov, said: “This project represents a significant milestone in our decarbonisation journey and lays the foundation for wider adoption of WAPS technology across our fleet.”

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Speaking for the wind sail firm, Daniel Mann, Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We’re thrilled to be collaborating once again with Eastern Pacific Shipping, one of the leaders at the forefront of the shipping industry’s green transformation. Their adoption of our eSAIL technology not only reflects their commitment to greener shipping, but also paves the way for broader industry adoption of wind assisted propulsion systems. These systems offer a proven, mechanically simple solution to reduce emissions, cut costs, and meet regulatory requirements such as FuelEU Maritime, CII, and EU ETS.”