Eastern Pacific Shipping, bound4blue Completes Second eSAIL Retrofit

bound4blue and Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) have completed the second installation of eSAILs in EPS’ fleet, fitting three 22-meter-high units on MR tanker Pacific Sunstone at New Times Shipbuilding in Jiangsu Province, China. The project marks EPS’ first newbuild installation following a successful retrofit project on Pacific Sentinel.

With smaller footprints than other solutions, eSAILs generate lift up to seven times greater than conventional rigid sails of the same size. The units are also non-ATEX, helping optimize costs.

Pacific Sunstone’s installation process was tailored to enable straightforward integration without major structural modification, or delays. The project also builds on the proven results from the Pacific Sentinel, where a six-month study by EPS and the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonization confirmed average 8% net power reduction, 5.5% net fuel savings, and peaks above 20% in favorable wind conditions. Notably, these results were achieved despite predominantly unfavorable winds.

The installation also highlights how wind-assisted propulsion systems can be integrated effectively across both retrofit and newbuild programs.

All eSAIL foundations and electrical connections were incorporated into the newbuilding program, before the sails, which were manufactured in Spain, were shipped to China for a streamlined "plug and play" connection process.

Now operational, the three units will provide reliable power to reduce main engine loads, saving OPEX (typical payback on eSAIL installations is less than five years) and empowering regulatory compliance, with benefits across a broad range of frameworks such as CII, EU ETS, EEDI/EEXI and FuelEU Maritime, via the Wind Reward Factor.

bound4blue’s DNV type approved technology is now the preferred choice of a range of global shipowners, including Odfjell, Maersk Tankers, Klaveness Combination Carriers and BW Epic Kosan, among others.