Odfjell completes first near carbon-neutral transatlantic voyage

Bow Olympus passes the Fred Hartman Bridge in Houston, April 2025 [Photo: Robert Land Productions & Mihovil Photography]

When we last reported on Odfjell’s chemical tanker Bow Olympus, the five-year old vessel had departed the EDR Antwerp Shipyard in Belgium, headed for Houston after being fitted with four 22-meter bound4blue eSAILs installed.

Since then she has completed two transatlantic voyages. On the second of these, the vessel used 100% sustainable biofuel. The goal was to explore a pathway towards near-net-zero operations for a deep-sea vessel. The bunkered biofuel was sourced from certified sustainable waste materials. The certification body is accredited by both IMO and EU.

Odfjell reports the combination of the biofuel and suction sails was the first near carbon-neutral transatlantic voyage, saving five tons of fuel every day and improving GHG intensity by 85%

The company says that the milestone voyage proves how existing technologies and fuels can be paired to accelerate deep-sea shipping’s transition to net zero emissions.

Real-time data from the voyage confirms that this dual propulsion approach is not only technically feasible but also impactful: The vessel’s GHG emissions on the current voyage meet the 2050 Fuel EU Maritime GHG intensity targets and IMO’s GFI Direct Compliance targets at least until 2044.

Suction sails surpass energy-harvesting expectations

The power of wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS) has been tested through Bow Olympus’ two first cross-Atlantic voyages. The four 22-meter suction sails have been operational under varying weather conditions, with the performance closely monitored by Odfjell’s crew and a technology team on board and onshore.

“The results have surpassed our expectations,” says Odfjell’s VP technology, Erik Hjortland. “Even in good, but not perfect, wind conditions, we observed a 15-20% energy-saving effect. That translates to five tons of fuel saved per day, equivalent to a reduction of 15 tons of CO2 emissions per day. On certain parts of the current voyage, we have seen up to 40% fuel consumption reductions. These are very promising figures. We are thrilled to note that our initial calculations are confirmed and even exceeded.”

Using a new type of AI-based weather routing system allowed the 49,000 dwt vessel to take full advantage of the prevailing wind conditions.

“One surprising finding is that even light wind as high as 15 degrees on the bow generates noticeable effect,” says Hjortland. “This means that we can probably operate the sails more often than anticipated, positively affecting the already healthy return of investment figures. The sails also offer stabilizing and roll-damping effects. Based on current data, we expect that the sails will continue delivering significant fuel savings on future deep-sea voyages in all basins.”

Sustainable biofuel

In addition to the sails, Odfjell decided to double its exploration and added another element to Bow Olympus’ current Atlantic crossing: 100% sustainable biofuel.

As Bow Olympus reaches European shores this weekend, says Odfjell, she has demonstrated that the dual propulsion solution is a realistic pathway to carbon neutrality for deep-sea shipping, 25 years ahead of time: The voyage shows a full 85% reduction in GHG intensity compared to conventional fuels, without technical investments or upgrades required to consume the fuel. In addition, the energy efficiency is improved by 15-20% by the use of sails.

Testing novel innovations while remaining fuel flexible

Over the past decade, Odfjell has installed more than 140 energy-saving devices on its vessels, improving carbon intensity by more than 53% compared to the 2008 IMO baseline. Having exhausted most conventional upgrades, Odfjell is now focused on next-generation solutions—such as wind propulsion—to meet its 2030 goal of 57% carbon intensity reduction.