Odfjell Drilling Ltd. - Experts & Thought Leaders

bound4blue and Amasus Shipping have completed the installation of a 22-metre eSAIL® on the general cargo vessel Fluvius Tavy at Astander Shipyard in Santander, Spain. The project marks the companies’ second installation, reinforcing both the scalability of suction sail technology and the growing confidence of shipowners in wind propulsion as a mainstream decarbonisation solution. The latest adoption of bound4blue’s autonomous suction sails follows a previous installation on board Amasus’ Eems Traveller, where two 17-metre eSAILs® became the first of their kind to be fitted on a general cargo vessel. Since then, the DNV Type Approved technology has also been retrofitted to vessels operated by other forward-thinking owners such as Odfjell, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs and Eastern Pacific Shipping, with fuel and emissions savings already proven and independently validated in operation. Trusted formula “Our collaboration with Amasus continues to demonstrate that wind propulsion is gaining broader acceptance as a practical, profitable, and, crucially, a proven solution for an industry in transition,” comments José Miguel Bermúdez, CEO and Co-founder of bound4blue. “This installation is particularly noteworthy as it is the largest suction sail ever fitted to a general cargo vessel and, following a previous installation on the Eems Traveller, a very clear endorsement of the value Amasus sees in our technology. We’re delighted to help forward-thinking owners and partners, like Amasus, turn their sustainability ambitions into profitable results.” "Bermúdez adds that the new project is forecasted to “deliver significant double-digit reductions in vessel fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions”. Easy does it The retrofit was completed in a single visit to Astander, with all preparatory and installation work carried out within the vessel’s scheduled maintenance period. Structural and electrical adaptations were made to the deck to accommodate the sail’s foundations, after which the fully pre-commissioned unit, manufactured in Spain by Haizea-Tecnoaranda, was lifted into place in a streamlined, plug-and-play process. Amasus says of the project: “The decision to install a second eSAIL® reflects how satisfied we are with the performance and how smoothly it has integrated into our day-to-day operations. Our experience with bound4blue’s suction sails highlights their suitability for short-sea general cargo vessels like ours. We’re happy to continue working with bound4blue and would like to thank their team, as well as the yard, for another seamless and efficient Amasus installation. We’re now looking forward to seeing the fuel and emissions savings this new installation will deliver.” Tailored flexibility bound4blue’s autonomous eSAILs® work by drawing air across an aerodynamically optimised surface to generate lift up to seven times greater than conventional rigid sails of a comparable size. The fully autonomous technology can be easily tailored for individual vessel configurations and a broad range of segments, including tankers, bulk carriers, Ro-Ros, cruise vessels, ferries, and gas carriers, amongst others. Alongside Amasus, other pioneering shipowners such as Eastern Pacific Shipping, Odfjell and Louis Dreyfus Company, have recently completed installations.

bound4blue, a pioneer in wind propulsion systems, has closed a US$44 million funding round backed by pioneering maritime corporates, ship owning families, climate-focused investors and government capital.  The round was led by OCTAVE Capital, an investment platform affiliated with major shipowner: IMC, and Katapult Ocean. The round brings together new investors, including Motion Ventures, Odfjell family office and ReOcean Fund - led by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and Monaco Asset Management - alongside existing investors Shift4Good, GTT Strategic Ventures, KAI Capital and CDTI (Innvierte SICC), who strengthened their commitment to the company. Advance new developments “This round signals a new phase for bound4blue. Earlier stages focused on proving the technology and validating its impact; now this new capital reinforces the long-term backing we already have from investors who understand shipping and share our industrial vision and the role this technology will play across the fleet,” said José Miguel Bermúdez, CEO & Co-Founder of bound4blue.  “This funding enables us to expand capacity, accelerate our growth roadmap and advance new developments that will elevate both the technology and our services to the next level. It confirms that bound4blue is built on solid foundations and positioned for sustained global deployment,” he added. Full industrialisation of suction sails The investment underscores a growing industry consensus: suction sails are emerging as the leading pathway for immediate, scalable decarbonisation across the global fleet with commercial gains.  The new funding will accelerate bound4blue’s shift into full industrialisation of suction sails and support efforts to deepen R&D as the company looks to grow beyond existing commercial offerings. The company is also responding to increased market demand by expanding manufacturing capacity to supply hundreds of suction sails annually.  Impact bound4blue’s systems Operational data continues to confirm the scale of impact bound4blue’s systems have had across several fleets. The company has already installed its technology on seven vessels, with a further twelve ships in the orderbook - representing more than fifty sails in total. These projects span pioneering owners such as Maersk Tankers, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Odfjell, Klaveness Combination Carriers and BW Epic Kosan, reinforcing bound4blue’s position as a preferred partner for forward-thinking players across the sector. By 2027, the company is expected to deliver annual CO₂ savings of more than 400,000 tons, with over 570,000 tons avoided in total between 2024 and 2027 - the equivalent of removing around 87,000 passenger cars from the road each year, planting more than 18 million trees, or avoiding over 250,000 transatlantic flights. This will be done through parallel production lines in Spain and China, enabling higher production throughput, stronger supply-chain resilience and faster delivery schedules. Long-dated fuel transitions May Liew, Chief Executive Officer at OCTAVE Capital, said: “We invested in bound4blue because wind propulsion systems have moved from promising innovation to proven, scalable climate infrastructure. For the maritime sector, where long-dated fuel transitions remain critical but still years from wide-scale adoption, this technology provides the real and immediate carbon emissions reductions needed right now."  " With bound4blue industrialising production across both Europe and Asia, the team is well positioned it to lead the category worldwide. As an impact-driven investor with an interest in decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors, we believe bound4blue will play a critical role in accelerating shipping’s transition while delivering measurable carbon savings from day one.” Bound4blue as wind propulsion Jonas Skattum Svegaarden, CEO at Katapult Ocean, added:  “After years of looking for the right opportunity in this space, we were driven to invest in bound4blue as wind propulsion has clearly shifted from experimental concept to bankable decarbonisation tool, and bound4blue in particular has proven it can deliver meaningful, verifiable fuel and emissions reductions at a category-defining pace." "As the team scales into Asia and deepens partnerships with pioneering shipowners, we’re confident that their combination of technical performance, commercial traction, and global supply chain ambition will make bound4blue a cornerstone solution in the transition to a cleaner, more resilient ocean economy.” Bound4blue’s suction sails By generating additional thrust from wind power, bound4blue’s suction sails ‘eSAILs®’ reduce engine loads and fuel consumption, cutting vessel operating costs (with double-digit savings) and CO₂ emissions. This greatly improves regulatory performance under frameworks like CII, EEXI/EEDI, FuelEU Maritime and EU ETS. Independently verified results demonstrate consistent, tangible impact in service. On Ville de Bordeaux, third-party assessments reported daily fuel savings of 1.7 tonnes, with peaks reaching 5.4 tonnes.  Separately, on Odfjell’s Bow Olympus, the system delivered average fuel-saving of 15-20%, with voyage-leg peaks of up to 40% reductions during its first transatlantic voyage. Verified under full operational conditions, bound4blue’s suction sails are delivering real savings now on vessels trading globally. Efficiency upgrades before 2030 The maritime industry is entering what many describe as the “retrofit decade”, with tens of thousands of vessels requiring efficiency upgrades before 2030. Unlike alternative fuels, which face long timelines for global availability, engine compatibility and bunkering infrastructure, suction sails can be installed now, on the ships, operated by the crews.  The technology is also increasingly being incorporated into newbuild designs, where it offers an additional long-term lever to reduce fuel consumption and carbon exposure from day one. This position bound4blue to support both the large retrofit wave already underway and the growing number of newbuild projects integrating wind propulsion from the outset.

BW Epic Kosan (BWEK), a world pioneer in LPG, petrochemicals and speciality gas transportation, has signed an agreement with bound4blue for the installation of a 24 metre tall eSAIL® suction sail on the 2007-buit Helena Kosan. The autonomous wind propulsion system, to be installed in 2026, will allow BWEK to save fuel, cut emissions, reduce costs and simplify regulatory compliance, as the Singapore-based company invests to support industry decarbonisation goals. Safe, simple sailing “The tanker and LPG market is a key growth area for bound4blue, so it’s fantastic to agree a contract with the world pioneer in last-mile delivery of LPG, petrochemicals and other specialty gases,” comments José Miguel Bermúdez, CEO & Co-Founder, bound4blue. He adds, “Our mechanically simple solution delivers unique benefits for the segment, with the ability to position the sail’s maintenance door far above the deck and thus entirely remove the system from hazardous areas. This means non-explosion proof units can be installed easily on a vessel such as an LPG carrier, or any other tanker, negating the need for more costly, complex ATEX-proof solutions.” José Miguel Bermúdez continues, “When this simplicity is added to the proven performance and benefits of the system, which is also compact in size due to its exceptional propulsive efficiency, you have a technology perfectly suited to help owners such as BWEK meet ambitious commercial and environmental goals. We’re thrilled to partner with the team for this exciting project.”  Market benefits Fuel use and emissions are reduced, easing compliance with regulations, such as EU ETS, CII, FuelEU Maritime The DNV Type Approved eSAIL® works by dragging air across an aerodynamic surface to generate lift up to seven times greater than rigid sails of the same size, delivering greater power through smaller vessel footprints.  In doing so, fuel use and emissions are reduced, easing compliance with regulations, such as EU ETS, CII, FuelEU Maritime (with additional benefits through the wind reward factor) and the newly proposed IMO GFI framework. Recent orders for eSAILs® have been placed by companies such as Maersk Tankers, Marflet Marine and Klaveness Combination Carriers, with new installations completed for Odfjell, Eastern Pacific Shipping and Louis Dreyfus Company. Investing in the future “We are committed to investing in proven technology that supports and enables our drive to reduce operational environmental footprints,” explains Jakob Bode, CEO, BWEK. Jakob Bode adds, “We have so far introduced a range of innovations including ultrasonic transducers, graphene-based propeller coatings and advanced weather routing to cut emissions and empower efficiencies, in addition to actively participating in projects to advance the adoption of green fuels such as ammonia.” He continues, “Wind power was identified as having potential and, after careful studies, bound4blue’s eSAIL® was selected as the system of choice. We look forward to benefitting from its simplicity and efficacy in action on the Helena Kosan from 2026 onwards.” Plug and play The installation will be carried out in a simple two-step process, with preparatory work conducted at a scheduled dry docking in 2025 and a ‘plug and play’ fitting of the unit the following year. bound4blue’s eSAILs® are suitable for both newbuilds and retrofitting across the vast majority of vessel segments, including, but not limited to, Tankers, Bulkers, Ro-Ros, Cruise ships, Ferries, Gas Carriers, and General Cargo vessels. The technology offers a typical payback period of less than five years.