Eastern Pacific links wind propulsion repayments to fuel savings

Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has secured financing for wind-assisted propulsion systems on two vessels through a fund linking repayments to independently verified fuel savings.

The Fund for Energy Efficiency Technologies (FEET), managed by AIM Horizon Investments with the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) as decarbonisation adviser, is making its first deployment with the EPS projects.

The vessels, Pacific Sentinel and Pacific Sunstone, have each been fitted with three 22-metre suction sails, making them the first ships in the EPS fleet to adopt wind-assisted propulsion.

FEET offers up to 100% upfront financing for energy efficiency technologies, with shipowners making payments based on verified fuel and regulatory savings.

The financing model builds on earlier trials involving GCMD and EPS aboard Pacific Sentinel, during which researchers collected 276m data points over four months of trading in the Americas between May and September 2025.

The analysis examined 203 valid sail on-off transitions to isolate the technology’s impact on fuel consumption from changing operating conditions.

The methodology has undergone independent review, with future project savings subject to verification before payments are calculated.

“Decarbonisation moves faster when the technology, the data, and the financing come together,” said EPS chief executive Cyril Ducau.

The fund is backed by the Development Bank of Japan, DBS Bank and ING, with the partners aiming to expand the financing model to other energy efficiency technologies across shipping fleets.

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