A Singapore-based subsidiary of Marubeni Corporation, MMSL PTE. LTD., has signed an agreement to retrofit four suction sails on the Crimson Kingdom, with the Spanish wind-assisted propulsion developer bound4blue. The 26m-high eSAILscurrently specified for the project willbe the largest suction sails ever built and installed on a vessel.
The vessel will become thefirst wind-assisted vessel to be owned by Marubeni after the installation. It will subsequently beoperated by MaruKlav Management Inc., a Panamax Pool company jointly owned by Marubeni and Torvald Klaveness Group, the Norwegian shipping company.
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.
“The installation on Crimson Kingdom will probe the potential of our suction sails on bulk carriers, a strategic segment for our company. This agreement with Marubeni will enable us to scale up our technology to the next level, installing our 26-metre units on a bulk carrier for the first time and giving us the opportunity to partner with one of the most important international shipowners”, commented José Miguel Bermúdez, CEO of bound4blue.
Mr. Yasutomo Miyake, General Manager, Ship Project Dept. of Marubeni says: “Marubeni is aspiring to become a Forerunner in Green Business, and we will continue to contribute on the reduction of GHG emissions and realization of a decarbonized society by actively participating in projects that represent a benefit for the environment. For that reason, we are partnering with bound4blue to install their suction sails on the Crimson Kingdom, due to the financial potential that their technology represents for our fleet while having a high decarbonisation impact.”
