• Bureau Veritas Design Assessment reinforces independent confidence in bound4blue’s eSAIL® technology
• Recognition comes as bound4blue’s suction sail installations climb to 13 operational vessels, with six more in its orderbook

bound4blue has received a Design Assessment from Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore for its flagship Model 3-24 eSAIL®, developed to maximise the contribution of wind propulsion on larger vessels.

Presented during a handover ceremony at SMM 2026 in Hamburg, the assessment confirms that the design has been independently reviewed against Bureau Veritas’ technical requirements, providing further confidence for shipowners looking to deploy proven, scalable wind propulsion solutions.

Market moves

bound4blue’s eSAIL® suction sail technology has made significant strides forward across multiple shipping segments in the space of the past year, with more than 50 units now ordered and installations completed onboard 13 vessels.

The Model 3 range spans heights from 24 metres to 36 metres, with the 3-24 becoming the first commercial installation earlier this year onboard Klaveness Combination Carriers’ newbuild MV Baltazar. The sails feature an expanded surface area and optimised aerodynamic profile, ensuring even the largest ships can take advantage of compelling commercial and regulatory gains.

Confidence counts

“As the market matures, confidence becomes just as important as innovation,” says José Miguel Bermúdez, CEO and co-founder of bound4blue. “So, as wind takes its place within mainstream fleet investment, independent assessments really do play an increasingly important role in differentiating and substantiating technical solutions.

“Here at bound4blue it’s been a focus since day one. We are committed to engaging with leading Class societies to demonstrate the quality and potential of our proprietary technology. By doing so we provide owners, yards and wider industry stakeholders with the reassurance they need to embrace the wind revolution and unlock significant environmental and business benefits. We’re delighted to achieve this latest recognition from Bureau Veritas as we continue to cement our position as a trusted industry partner.”

Supporting progress

The Model 3-24 builds on bound4blue’s proven Model 2 platform, retaining the company’s hallmark technical simplicity for straightforward installation and autonomous operation.

eSAILs® work by utilising boundary layer suction to draw air across an aerodynamically optimised surface and generate propulsive force up to seven times greater than rigid sails of the same size, while requiring far less maintenance. The result is significantly lower fuel consumption, reduced CO₂ emissions and improved operational efficiency. In addition, the non-ATEX technology supports compliance with a growing range of environmental regulations, including FuelEU Maritime and the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), while contributing towards improved Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) performance and EEXI compliance.

Speaking of the Design Assessment process, David Barrow, SVP for Western Europe and Americas at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, comments: “Wind propulsion is becoming an increasingly important element of the maritime industry’s decarbonisation journey, and independent technical assessment helps provide confidence as these technologies continue to mature and scale. Through this Design Assessment, Bureau Veritas is pleased to support bound4blue in advancing safe and reliable innovation, helping shipowners reduce emissions while maintaining robust technical standards.”

Plug and play

eSAILs® have emerged as a solution of choice for many of shipping’s leading names, including companies such as Maersk Tankers, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Odfjell, Louis Dreyfus Company, and many more.

Designed as a simple, plug-and-play system for both retrofits and newbuilds, bound4blue suction sails operate alongside conventional propulsion systems while also supporting the adoption of future fuels such as methanol and ammonia, helping shipowners integrate complementary sustainability solutions into their decarbonisation strategies.

eSAILs® are market proven to deliver double-digit fuel savings, with typical payback periods of less than five years.