Wind sail installed on new multipurpose cargo vessel
The installation was carried out at Astilleros Armon Vigo, Spain, prior to the vessel delivery
(Source: bound4blue)
Spanish wind sail developer, bound4blue (b4b), has recently installed a 22m-high e-Sail® on a new multipurpose cargo vessel at Astilleros Armon Vigo in Spain. The ship, named Na Hiro E Pae, has now entered service for owner, Société de Navigation des Australes SNA Tuha'a Pae Shipping Company between Tahiti and the Austral Islands. It is thought to be the first multipurpose vessel to have a wind propulsion system.
Na Hiro E Pae provides a combination of passenger services, with capacity for up to 200, together with an essential and affordable transport link for students, families and workers, and cargo efficiency, supporting fast loading and unloading operations for up to 1,500 tonnes of supplies for the South Pacific archipelago.
The b4b suction sail is part of a sustainable technology combination that includes engines running on biofuel or e-fuel, electric POD propulsion, efficient waste management and autonomy if fresh water supply.
José Miguel Bermúdez, the wind sail company’s CEO and co-founder, commented: “Multipurpose vessels have traditionally been seen as a challenging segment for wind power, due to the required flexibility of operations and related integration demands. This project demonstrates how systems suppliers, naval architects, shipowners and other key stakeholders can solve such issues, collaborating closely to empower progress.”
The company now has eSAIL systems on twelve ships, with a further six on its orderbook, comprising more than 50 sails in total.
