Louis Dreyfus to retrofit suction sails on board chartered juice vessel

The suction sails will be installed on LDC’s chartered juice vessel, MV Atlantic Orchard, in collaboration with the vessel’s Sweden based owner, Wisby Tankers.

LDC has agreed a commercial agreement with wind-assisted propulsion manufacturer bound4blue for the manufacture and installation of four 26-meter-high eSAILs. The installation of the eSAILs is planned for 2024 and, depending on vessel routing, is expected to reduce annual fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions by at least 10%.

The selected suction sail technology – the eSAIL system from bound4blue – is based on the use of a thick aerodynamic profile and smart suction to increase propulsive efficiency, producing seven times more lift than an airplane wing.

The decision to implement this technology was based on a third-party assessment study carried out by Lloyd’s Register, which evaluated a range of solutions and identified bound4blue’s suction sails as the most promising.

José Miguel Bermúdez, CEO of bound4blue, says: “We’re pleased to announce our agreement with LDC to implement our eSAIL® system, demonstrating bound4blue’s ability to serve unique vessel types and affirming the maturity of our technology as a proven solution for fuel and emission reduction. LDC is at the forefront of adopting proven clean technologies to reduce carbon emissions in its fleet, and we are delighted to support them in their endeavor.”

Sébastien Landerretche, LDC’s Global Head of Freight, explains: “Reflecting LDC’s commitment to help shape a low-carbon economy, we are actively contributing to the global shipping industry energy transition journey, in line with the IMO’s target to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from the sector by 2050. We are therefore very pleased to partner with two key maritime industry players, bound4blue and Wisby Tankers, to install this advanced sail technology aboard our chartered juice carrier.”