Periodic Reporting for period 1 - bound4blue (Advanced sails to reduce environmental impact and OPEX of maritime transport)
Período documentado: 2022-03-01 hasta 2023-02-28
Project coordinator, Bound 4 Blue SL (bound4blue) is a Spanish company developing automated wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS) to reduce fuel consumption and emissions of merchant vessels, which reduce up to 30% of the fuel used in maritime transport (merchant vessels, fishing vessels, passenger vessels, etc.), decreasing operating costs and the environmental impact of the maritime industry, also complying with new International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulations and the European Green Deal goals. So far, the main objectives of this project are based on: (i) scaling-up and installing bound4blue's suction-based wingsail (eSAIL) on a Ro-Ro vessel, (ii) developing a complete set of internal tools to increase company competitiveness, (iii) and improving company's industrial capabilities to be ready for large scale deployment.
The initially expected impact and short effect of the project was based on having the first installation on a Ro-Ro vessel of this new type of suction sail, and on the short and medium term this means attracting further investment from current investors and new players and targeting new customers. Long-term effects, with the implementation of the suction sail in many vessels in Europe and at worldwide level will be, from the business side, the growth of the company involved in the project and the generation of hundreds of jobs in Europe, also in the shipbuilding and auxiliary sector; and, from the environmental side, the reduction in pollutants emissions, meaning a better health for our citizens and the environment.
bound4blue completed a detailed design adaptation of the full-scale suction sail and its autonomous control system, as well as vessel transformation and other auxiliary objectives. Now the sails are being manufactured and their installation onboard the Ro-Ro vessel are expected for Q4-2023.
In general, the overall project objective is to reduce the environmental impact of the maritime industry. The aim is based on offering a relevant fuel savings percentage while reducing CAPEX (hardware costs) and weight when compared to other potential solutions, and making our solution accessible to more vessels.
Measurable objectives and indicators will be monitored during the the project, which can be summarised as follows: (i) fuel use reduction, (ii) CO2 emissions reduction. In addition, some socio-economic indicators were monitored too, such as: direct and indirect generated jobs during the project and following its finalisation (technology adoption); auxiliary turnover generated due to the manufacturing activities; and attraction of private investment to enter into full commercial phase.