Odfjell to Install Suction Sails on Chemical Tanker

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Thursday August 17, 2023

Shipping firm Odfjell has signed a deal to install two bunker-saving suction sails on board one of its chemical tankers.

Wind-assisted propulsion technology company Bound4Blue will install two of its eSAIL suction sails on the tanker next year, it said in an emailed statement on Thursday.

The vessel will be the first tanker to take on the eSAIL system.

"This project marks another leap in our dedication to decarbonization," Erik Hjortland, vice president of technology at Odfjell, said in the statement.

"As the first tanker company to test the suction-sail technology, we demonstrate our innovative capabilities and dedication to a more sustainable shipping sector.

"We all have a responsibility to use as few resources as possible, and Odfjell’s long-time efforts in energy efficiency have significantly reduced our fleet’s emissions.

"The work continues, and we look forward to documenting further improvements with the installation of suction sails."

Odfjell has reduced its carbon intensity by 51% since 2008.

Wind-assisted propulsion systems are gaining in popularity in the shipping industry as a means of cutting bunker consumption and GHG emissions. The systems are likely to become more widespread once shipping companies start to take on much more expensive alternative bunker fuels, making energy-saving systems more profitable.

Ship & Bunker News Team
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