At the end of September 2023 Airbus announced it is to equip one of the vessels it uses to transport aircraft subassemblies, chartered from shipowner Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, with a wind-assisted propulsion technology that captures wind energy to generate thrust and, therefore, delivers savings in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

The eSAIL®, developed by the Spain-based firm bound4blue, creates as much as six to seven times more lift than a conventional rigid sail. It consists of a sail-like vertical surface and an electric-powered air suction system that helps the airflow to re-adhere to the sail, generating additional lift and thereby reducing the load on the ship’s main engines.

Three 22m-high eSAILs® will be fitted to the Ville de Bordeaux ahead of a six-month performance monitoring period starting early 2024. Ville de Bordeaux regularly ferries A320 Family subassemblies from Europe to Mobile in the United States for final assembly.

Fitting the eSAILs® on Ville de Bordeaux supports Airbus’ commitment to halve CO2 emissions from its maritime operations by 2030, compared to a 2015 baseline. According to bound4blue estimations, these eSAILs® could deliver fuel and CO2 emissions savings of up to 560 tons and 1,800 tons respectively for this ship annually.

The installation of eSAILs® on the Ville de Bordeaux is co-funded by the European Union.

 


For more news like this, subscribe to Ships Monthly here. 

For more news like this, visit the news page.

Sign up for Ships Monthly’s FREE e-newsletter here.

SubscribeSubscribe
EXCLUSIVE CHRISTMAS OFFERThe perfect gift! 

Subscribe today from only £42.99 and save up to 53%, either as a special gift or as a treat for yourself!