bound4blue and Marflet Marine fly the flag for innovation with landmark eSAIL® installation

•  Four 22-metre eSAILs® installed onboard Santiago I, making Marflet Marine the first Spanish merchant fleet shipowner to operate suction sails.
• Vessel expected to reduce annual energy consumption by approximately 10-15%, supporting compliance with FuelEU Maritime and EU ETS.

Barcelona, 3 September 2026 – bound4blue has completed the installation of four 22-metre eSAIL® suction sails onboard Marflet Marine’s Santiago I, positioning the company as the first Spanish merchant fleet owner to commit to wind-assisted propulsion and suction sails.

The installation, completed at EDR Antwerp Shipyard following ‘wind ready’ preparation work at IMC Shipyard in Zhoushan, China, transforms the 49,999 DWT chemical tanker into a flagship for Spanish maritime innovation. Engineering support for the project was provided by Cotenaval.

Signed in May 2024, the original contract represented an important milestone for both companies. Now operational, Santiago I is expected to reduce annual energy consumption by approximately 10-15%, depending on trading patterns and weather conditions. Alongside lower fuel consumption and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, the installation will help lower exposure to carbon costs under the EU ETS while supporting compliance with FuelEU Maritime.

Delivering on demand

For José Miguel Bermúdez, CEO and co-founder of bound4blue, the installation carries added significance.

“Seeing Santiago I enter service with our eSAIL® technology onboard is a particularly proud moment,” he comments. “It brings together two Spanish companies committed to demonstrating that innovation developed at home can help shape the future of international shipping.

“Marflet Marine showed real leadership by becoming the first Spanish merchant fleet owner to embrace wind-assisted propulsion in 2024. Today that vision has become reality. It’s another example of how practical, scalable technologies are enabling owners to improve efficiency, reduce emissions and strengthen competitiveness without fundamentally changing the way their vessels operate.”

Marflet Marine’s Santiago I equipped with four 22-metre bound4blue eSAILs® following installation at EDR Antwerp Shipyard.

Accelerating decarbonisation

The fully autonomous eSAIL® system generates additional propulsive force by drawing air across an aerodynamically optimised surface, creating lift up to seven times greater than conventional rigid sails of the same size. By significantly reducing main engine load, the unique non-ATEX technology lowers fuel consumption and associated emissions while requiring virtually no additional workload, and minimal maintenance, from onboard crews.

For Marflet Marine, the installation marks another step forward on its journey towards more sustainable shipping operations.

From ambition to action

“We committed to this project because we believed wind-assisted propulsion offered a practical way to strengthen both environmental performance and commercial competitiveness,” says Juan Cremades, Fleet Director at Marflet Marine.

“We’re really excited to see those benefits take shape onboard Santiago I as it sails into a new age of operation – demonstrating how investment in proven innovation today can deliver lasting value in the years to come, both for our own business and the wider industry. Given our confidence in this technology, our next step will be to order additional eSAILs® for other vessels in our fleet.”

Designed for both retrofit and newbuild projects, bound4blue’s DNV Type Approved eSAIL® systems are suitable across a broad range of vessel segments, including tankers, bulk carriers, Ro-Ro vessels, ferries, cruise ships, gas carriers and general cargo vessels.

With an expanding global orderbook, alongside a growing number of vessels now operating with the technology, the company continues to build on its leading position at the vanguard of Maritime’s new ‘wind revolution’.

Built to perform 

bound4blue’s single eSAIL® is expected to reduce energy consumption by approximately 10%, as well as helping improve the Cotenaval-designed vessel’s EEDI and CII performances.  

The newbuild forms part of a broader effort to modernise maritime transport links serving the Austral Islands, while supporting sustainability goals and local economic development. The project previously received support through the French Polynesian Government’s Appel à Manifestation d’Intérêt initiative, recognising its contribution to fleet renewal, regional connectivity and environmental performance. 

Practical innovation 

Boris PIEL technical Director, SNA Tuha’a Pae Shipping Company, comments: “The completion of this installation brings us one step closer to welcoming a new generation of vessel into service for the people of the Austral Islands. Sustainability was a key objective throughout the design process, and the eSAIL® forms an important part of a wider package of technologies that will help us reduce energy consumption and environmental impact, while maintaining the reliable transport services our communities depend upon. 

“This project demonstrates that innovation and practicality can go hand in hand. We are proud to be pioneering the use of wind propulsion on a vessel of this type and look forward to seeing the benefits delivered in operation.” 

The development is in the latest in a series of high profile installations and contracts for bound4blue’s eSAILs®. The company has now deployed eSAIL® systems on twelve ships, with a further six vessels in its order book, representing more than 50 eSAILs® in total. The autonomous, non-ATEX units ease engine loads, cut fuel consumption (delivering up to double digit savings), and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, delivering strong regulatory and financial benefits.

About bound4blue

bound4blue is a wind propulsion technology company supporting the maritime industry in reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Its eSAIL® system is an automated suction sail that uses wind as a clean energy source to deliver direct thrust to vessels. Founded in 2014, bound4blue is headquartered in Cantabria, Spain, with offices in Barcelona and Singapore, Shanghai and Suzhou. The company works with shipowners, yards and industry partners across newbuild and retrofit projects. Its client portfolio includes Eastern Pacific Shipping, Maersk Tankers, Odfjell, Klaveness Combination Carriers, BW Epic Kosan and Louis Dreyfus Company, among others.

For more information, visit: www.bound4blue.com  

About Marflet Marine

Marflet Marine is a privately owned company dedicated to the management, operation, and chartering of chemical tankers. Backed by a proud seven-decade heritage, Marflet’s forward-looking strategy relies on a technically advanced fleet, market agility, and a highly motivated team. The company promotes a culture of HSSQE excellence across all organizational levels, remaining fully committed to the safe maritime transport of liquid cargo. Through the continuous improvement of its procedures, practices, and controls, Marflet Marine firmly aims for zero incidents, zero spills, and zero detentions.

Sharing deeply aligned values with its partners regarding quality, safety, and environmental stewardship, Marflet Marine operates one of the most technologically advanced IMO2 MR tanker fleets in the market today.

For more information visit: www.marfletmarine.com

For media queries contact:

Chiara Caputo
Marketing & Communications Director
E. press@bound4blue.com | T. +34 938 33 73 92