European aircraft builder Airbus has agreed to install wind-assisted propulsion technology on a ro-ro vessel chartered from Louis Dreyfus Armateurs.
The 21,500-gt Ville de Bordeaux (built 2004) will be fitted with three 22-metre-high eSAILS ahead of a six-month performance monitoring period starting in early 2024.
Spain-based bound4blue, which has developed the technology, claims they create as much as six to seven times more lift than a conventional rigid sail.
The eSAILS consist of a sail-like vertical surface and an electric-powered air suction system that helps the airflow to re-adhere to the sail, generating additional lift and thereby reducing the load on the ship’s main engines, the company said.
The Ville de Bordeaux regularly ferries A320 aircraft subassemblies from Europe to Mobile in the US for final assembly.
The installation of the wind propulsion technology supports Airbus’ commitment to halve CO2 emissions from its maritime operations by 2030, compared to a 2015 baseline.
According to bound4blue estimations, these sails could deliver fuel and CO2 emissions savings of up to 560 tonnes and 1,800 tons respectively for this ship annually.
Nicolas Chretien, head of sustainability & environment at Airbus, said: “We at Airbus have been studying wind-assisted technologies as a potential energy source for our maritime operations for many years.
“This technology looks promising, and we are eager to start testing it in real conditions by the end of the year.”
Mathieu Muzeau, transport & logistics general manager at Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, said the shipowner is committed to supporting the decarbonisation of the shipping industry, achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
“Wind-assisted propulsion is one of the solutions we believe will help us reach this objective,” he said. “To determine the best technology for our operations, we are eager to identify and test various forms of wind-assisted propulsion, including rotating vertical cylinders, flexible sails, rigid sails, and wings.”
David Ferrer, chief technology officer of bound4blue, said the installation marks the first-ever fixed suction sail installation on a ro-ro ship, which he said demonstrates that suction sails can be deployed on ships with high weather deck and large windage area without compromising the vessel’s stability.
