bound4blue selected to Install eSAIL on cargo vessel

bound4blue reports it has been selected to install a 22-meter-high eSAIL on board the newbuild multipurpose cargo vessel Na Pae E Hiro, helping shipowner SNA TUHA’A PAE (SNA) reduce energy consumption by 10%. Launching in 2026, the trailblazing ship will mix green technology with an ambition to accelerate development of the remote Austral Islands, carrying both vital supplies and up to 200 tourists on its voyages from Tahiti to the South Pacific archipelago.

The eSAIL, designed for both retrofits and newbuilds, is a ‘suction sail’. It works by harnessing wind power to propel vessels, employing an autonomous vertical sail with suction technology, dragging air over a think aerodynamic profile. This process generates seven times more lift than a conventional airplane wing, resulting in exceptional propulsive efficiency, greatly reducing the load on main engines – saving fuel and cutting emissions.

The 89-meter-long newbuild is now set for construction at Armon Shipyard in Vigo, Spain, with naval architecture delivered by Cotenaval (Spain) and consultancy by ECO (France). Financial support has been awarded through the French Government’s Appel à Manifestation d’intérêt initiative, with the project meeting criteria of local fleet renewal, opening the Australes, delivering cruise business, supporting local employment, and sustainability goals.

Na Pae E Hiro will be fitted with engines capable of running on biofuel or e-fuel, as soon as it becomes commercially available in the region. It also offers efficiency in terms of waste treatment, electric POD propulsion and autonomy in fresh water supply. Cargo capacity is 1,500 tonnes, almost four times more than its predecessor, the Tuhaa Pae IV, translating to much reduced energy consumption and emissions per cargo tonne.