Spanish wind-assisted propulsion company bound4blue and ship operator MMSL, a Singapore-based wholly owned subsidiary of Marubeni Corporation, have signed an agreement to install four suction sails on the ‘Crimson Kingdom’, making this the first wind-assisted vessel owned by Marubeni.
According to the preliminary studies, in 2023/24 the 229m length Panamax bulk carrier will be retrofitted with four 26m high eSAILs , expected to be the largest suction sails built and installed on a vessel. After the installation, the vessel will be operated by MaruKlav Management, a Panamax Pool company jointly owned by Marubeni and Torvald Klaveness Group, a Norwegian shipping company.
The suction sails are expected to reduce the ship’s fuel costs and annual CO2 emissions by up to 20% in favourable trade routes, while improving at the same time the vessel’s EEXI and CII.
José Miguel Bermúdez, bound4blue CEO said: “The installation on Crimson Kingdom will probe the potential of our suction sails on bulk carriers, a strategic segment for our company. This agreement with Marubeni will enable us to scale up our technology to the next level, installing our 26m units on a bulk carrier for the first time and giving us the opportunity to partner with one of the most important international shipowners.”
Yasutomo Miyake, GM Ship Project Dept, Marubeni said: “Marubeni is aspiring to become a Forerunner in Green Business, and we will continue to contribute on the reduction of GHG emissions and realisation of a decarbonised society by actively participating in projects that represent a benefit for the environment. For that reason, we are partnering with bound4blue to install their suction sails on the Crimson Kingdom, due to the financial potential that their technology represents for our fleet while having a high decarbonisation impact.”
