Marubeni picks bound4blue’s suction sails to power its Panamax bulk carrier
bound4blue and MMSL PTE. LTD., a wholly owned subsidiary of Marubeni Corporation based in Singapore, have signed an agreement to install in 2023/24 four suction sails on the Crimson Kingdom, being the first wind-assisted vessel owned by Marubeni, according to Marubeni's release.
According to the preliminary studies, the 229-meter length Panamax bulk carrier will be retrofitted with four 26-metre-high eSAILs, expected to be the largest suction sails ever built and installed on a vessel. After the installation, the vessel will be operated by MaruKlav Management Inc., which is a Panamax Pool company jointly owned by Marubeni and Torvald Klaveness Group, a major shipping company in Norway.
The suction sails are expected to reduce the ship’s fuel costs and annual CO2 emissions by up to 20 percent in favorable trade routes, while improving at the same time the vessel’s EEXI and CII.
bound4blue develops automated wind-assisted propulsion systems as a turnkey solution for all shipowners and shipping companies seeking to reduce fuel costs and polluting emissions. bound4blue's eSAIL system is an efficient and validated solution for saving fuel and emissions, completely autonomous, with low cost, low maintenance and easy installation onboard. The company, founded in 2014 with a vocation clearly focused on the renewable energy sector in the maritime field, has its headquarters in Cantabria (Spain) and offices in Barcelona and Singapore. During 2021, the company installed its eSAIL system on two ships and has signed additional agreements with other shipowners like Amasus Shipping and Louis Dreyfus Armateurs to install the system on their fleets.
Marubeni Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries use their broad business networks, both within Japan and overseas, to conduct importing and exporting (including third country trading), as well as domestic business, encompassing a diverse range of business activities across wide-ranging fields including lifestyle, ICT business & logistics, food, agri business, forest products, chemicals, metals & mineral resources, energy, power, infrastructure project, aerospace & ship, finance, leasing & real estate business, construction, industrial machinery & mobility, next generation business development and next generation corporate development. Additionally, the Marubeni Group offers a variety of services, makes internal and external investments, and is involved in resource development throughout all of the above industries.
Established since 2011, MMSL Pte Ltd is a shipping company owning a fleet of modern bulk carriers. These include Kamsarmax, Supramax and product tankers.
