Odfjell Completes Install of First Sails on Tanker to Analyze Fuel Savings

Global chemical tanker operator Odfjell has joined the growing list of shipping companies that are incorporating wind-assisted propulsion into their operations as they seek to lower emissions. The company’s first sail installation was completed in Antwerp, and the chemical tanker Bow Olympus will now be carefully monitored to observe the impact on operations.

“The five-year-old vessel will soon embark on what could be called her second maiden voyage—this time, crossing the Atlantic towards Texas with four eSails," said Erik Hjortland, VP Technology for Odfjell. “Each nautical mile will be thoroughly analyzed in real-time to document the energy-saving effects. That data will be fundamental in informing future decisions as we continue to improve the environmental performance of our existing fleet.”

Odfjell selected bound4blue’s eSails, a wind foil that it said is best suited to the challenges of chemical tankers. They noted that the deck of the vessel is covered in pipes for multiple cargo tanks. The integration of the sail foundations required careful planning to ensure a seamless fit with tanker operations and the vessel’s requirement for air draft limitations.

Bound4blue says that it was able to minimize the size and eliminate the need for tilting systems because its eSails generate six to seven times the propulsive lift of equivalently proportioned rigid sails. The fully automated eSails generate propulsive force by dragging air across an optimized aerodynamic profile. The Bow Olympus which is approximately 600 feet (183 meters) and 49,000 dwt, was fitted with four 72-foot (22-meter) eSails.

To accommodate the vessel’s operating schedule, the installation was undertaken in two stages. The foundations were fitted during a scheduled drydocking. The sails were installed during two days, March 10 and 11, at the EDR Antwerp Shipyard.

“We’ve made some major steps in minimizing our emissions, reducing our fleet’s carbon intensity by 53% against the 2008 baseline,” says Hjortland. “We’ve done this through many operational measures and by installing a range of different energy-saving devices. Wind power was the next step.”

This project is funded by the European Union under a grant agreement from the Innovation Fund program. The tanker company says once results are validated from the operation of this first vessel, the plan is to install sails on more of its vessels.

Odfjell joins owners such as Amasus, Eastern Pacific Shipping, and Louis Dreyfus Armateurs with operational eSAILs. David Ferrer, Co-Founder and CTO of bound4blue notes that other major shipping companies such as Maersk Tankers, Marflet Marine, and Klaveness Combination Carriers are filling the company’s growing orderbook.