Marubeni partners with Spanish suction sail pioneer

Bound4blue claims that the eSAIL suction sail produces 6-7 times more lift than a conventional sail.

Japanese trading and investment house Marubeni Corporation has reached a partnership agreement with Spanish suction sail pioneer bound4blue, developer of the eSAIL.

The agreement will see Marubeni promote retail activities for eSAILs both in Japan and internationally, leveraging its established network in the shipping industry. In addition, Marubeni will act as bound4blue’s exclusive business partner of in the Japanese market, with the two partners actively working together to enhance their mutual relationship.

Marubeni is already working with bound4blue on a project that will see an eSAIL installed on a Panamax bulker operated by Marubeni Singapore-based subsidiary MMSL Pte. Ltd.

Bound4blue describes its eSAIL as a type of Wind-Assisted Propulsion System (WAPS) based on active boundary layer control using suction.

When exposed to wind, with the suction off, it only produces drag as with any other non-lifting structure. However, when the suction is activated, a small amount of air is sucked in, which re-adheres the airflow to the sail, generating enormous amounts of lift with low drag.

Bound4blue claims that the eSAIL produces 6-7 times more lift than a conventional sail, with minimal power consumption and no mechanical complexity (no inertial loads, vibrations, constant movement, etc.) ensuring simple and reliable operations.

The eSAIL technology is designed so that its high-lift ability maximizes fuel savings using a compact, light-weight and low-cost system.