Maersk Tankers has completed wind-assisted propulsion work on a second medium-range tanker under its five-vessel plan with Spanish technology company bound4blue.
The 29,445 gwt Maersk Tahiti received four 24 m eSAIL suction sails at Chengxi Shipyard in Jiangyin, China. The installation follows the first retrofit on Maersk Trieste, which was completed in January.
Across the program, bound4blue will supply 20 eSAIL units for five Maersk Tankers MR tankers. The company said the contract is its largest single agreement to date.
The eSAIL system is designed as a plug-and-play, automated wind-assisted propulsion solution. According to bound4blue, the technology can reduce engine load, support double-digit fuel savings, cut CO₂ emissions and help improve Carbon Intensity Indicator ratings.
bound4blue said its suction sail technology works by pulling air across an optimized aerodynamic surface, creating lift up to seven times higher than conventional rigid sails of similar size.
José Miguel Bermúdez, CEO and Co-Founder of bound4blue, said the agreement with Maersk Tankers shows broader industry uptake of wind propulsion. He said the technology offers environmental and commercial benefits while helping shipowners respond to a more complex regulatory and operating landscape.
