Singapore’s EPS to retrofit Pacific Sentinel with eSail wind propulsion system
The 50,000dwt chemical tanker Pacific Sentinel will be fitted with an auxiliary wind propulsion system towards the end of this year (Source: bound4blue)
Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) is the latest ship operator to take advantage of retrofitting a vessel with an auxiliary wind propulsion system. The shipowner has signed a contract for its first ever wind-assisted propulsion system, partnering with Barcelona-based bound4blue to install three of its 22m eSails on board its 50,000dwt 2019-built chemical tanker Pacific Sentinel.
The turnkey “suction sail” technology, which drags air across an aerodynamic surface to generate propulsive efficiency, will be retrofitted to the chemical tanker by the Spanish company during the fourth quarter of 2024. The new auxiliary propulsion system is expected to reduce the vessel’s overall energy consumption by approximately 10%.
Working with existing propulsion systems on the Pacific Sentinel, three eSails will use an autonomous control system to optimise power and reduce engine load and fuel consumption, with no need for crew input and low maintenance requirements. Following the retrofitting of the eSails towards the end of this year, Pacific Sentinel will receive a “wind assisted” notation from classification society ABS.
