Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has strengthened its collaboration with Spanish wind assisted propulsion system (WAPS) company bound4blue by contracting three 22m high eSail suction sails.
The fully autonomous system will be installed on a newbuild MR tanker from New Times Shipbuilding in Jiangsu Province, China in late 2025. This agreement follows EPS’s first project with bound4blue earlier in 2024, which involved retrofitting three eSails on Pacific Sentinel, a 50,000dwt vessel, in February.
bound4blue says it is experiencing a surge in orders for its DNV type approved system, which works by dragging air across an aerodynamic surface to generate propulsive efficiency. This helps reduce vessel fuel use, Opex and emissions to air, while enhancing regulatory compliance. In 2024 alone, bound4blue saw exponential growth, increasing from four projects on the orderbook to 14, with four installations up and running.
EPS’s decision to incorporate eSail technology aligns with its broader decarbonisation strategy, which includes dual-fuel vessels, biofuels, voyage optimisation systems, and carbon capture technologies.
Daniel Mann, CCO bound4blue said: “We’re thrilled to be collaborating once again with EPS, 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. We are thrilled to support EPS in achieving its ambitious sustainability goals.”
Mirtcho Spassov, Decarbonisation Manager, EPS, added: “We’re excited to be working alongside bound4blue and New Times Shipbuilding to install our first wind-assisted propulsion system on a newbuild vessel. This project represents a significant milestone in our decarbonisation journey and lays the foundation for wider adoption of WAPS technology across our fleet.”
Singapore-headquartered EPS manages over 300 vessels with a combined dwt of 31 million. bound4blue’s eSails are suitable for both newbuilds and retrofits across diverse vessel types, including, but not limited to, tankers, bulkers, ro-ros, cruises, ferries, gas carriers, and general cargo vessels.
Image: Digitally rendered image of eSails on EPS’ MR newbuild (source: bound4blue/Blue-C))
