Four Wingsails for Oddfjell’s Bow Olympus

Odfjell’s 49,000 DWT deadweight chemical tanker Bow Olympus departed from EDR Antwerp Shipyard in Antwerp, equipped with four 22-metre eSAILs, to test wind support on the Atlantic.

The installation was completed in two days thanks to coordinated efforts between Odfjell, bound4blue and the shipyard, following a two-step process that involved integrating sail foundations during docking.
The eSAILs are designed to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, building on Odfjell’s 53% reduction in carbon intensity since 2008, equivalent to 21 zero-emission vessels.
Erik Hjortland, VP Technology at Odfjell, said, “The five-year-old vessel has just embarked on what could be called her second maiden voyage – this time crossing the Atlantic towards Houston with four eSAILs®. Every nautical mile will be thoroughly analysed in real-time to document the energy-saving effects. We are eager to see if our calculations and expectations are confirmed.”

Efficient

He added: “A major challenge in a world where all sectors need renewable electricity is that the whole process – from green power production to the ship’s propeller – results in an energy loss of about 80 per cent, making it a poor energy economy.
Sails, on the other hand, harness wind energy locally and directly, with a much lower energy loss – about 10 per cent from sail to propeller. It is an elegant use of resources and the main reason why I am so passionate about this solution.
The lessons from Bow Olympus will catalyse further decisions as we continue to improve the environmental performance of our current ships – while also preparing for the next generation of chemical tankers that will be with us until 2050 and beyond.”

Training

The crew, led by captain Glenn Skjelbred, attended several seminars to understand the impact of sails on ship movements, along with Odfjell’s technology team and bound4blue for real-time analysis.

Source: Portnews
Image: Odfjell

Windassist sponsor