Maersk Tankers gets involved in yet another order for bound4blue

Suction-sail pioneer bound4blue has signed a contract with Maersk Tankers to retrofit 20 sails on five Maersk MR tankers between 2025 and 2026.

Maersk Tacoma, Maersk Tampa, Maersk Tangier, Maersk Teesport and Maersk Tokyo will each be equipped with four 26m bound4blue sails, which are expected to produce ‘double digit’ fuel savings in each vessel.

Bound4blue recently developed a new aerodynamic model to calculate the best possible fuel savings from each sail installation, ensuring that ‘interference’ between sails is kept to a minimum. The new model beats out cost-, time- and resource-intensive CFD modelling, the company told Ship Repair Newsletter recently.

“The trust Maersk Tankers has placed in our technology reinforces the proven capabilities of our solution in reducing fuel consumption and emissions, while contributing to CII and FuelEU regulatory compliance,” said José Miguel Bermúdez, CEO and co-founder at bound4blue, describing the order as a “key milestone”.

“Designed to operate safely in challenging conditions, our system is particularly well-suited for safe, high performing and cost-efficient operation on tankers. We’re excited to work alongside Maersk Tankers as they progress in their decarbonisation efforts.”

It has been a breakout year for the Spanish firm, having signed deals with Klaveness Combination Carriers, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Odfjell, Marflet Marine, Amasus, and Louis Dreyfus Company.