STS JV and TotalEnergies sign deal with Beyond the Sea to test kite traction towing on GranMorgu FPSO
AI-madeA kite the size of a small aircraft could soon be pulling one of the oil industry’s largest vessels across the Pacific. STS Joint Venture—the partnership between SBM Offshore and Technip Energies—along with TotalEnergies EP Suriname, has signed a formal agreement with French company Beyond the Sea to deploy a wind-assisted kite traction system on the GranMorgu FPSO. The technology, Beyond the Sea’s SeaKite® 2400, would provide automated traction during the vessel’s tow from its construction site in China to its final location offshore Suriname.
Agreement signed to deploy kite traction on GranMorgu FPSO
The agreement covers the full lifecycle of the technology’s integration: development, installation, testing, and operation of a wind-assisted towing system (WATS) on the GranMorgu FPSO. At the center of the deal sits the SeaKite® 2400, which delivers automated traction that adjusts in real time depending on wind conditions along the route.
The towing voyage itself is no short trip. The GranMorgu FPSO travels from its construction site in China all the way to its offshore destination in Suriname—a long-haul route that makes the case for supplemental wind propulsion pretty hard to argue against.
It follows a structured, phased R&D approach moving through technology development and qualification, cost assessment, and operational readiness—in that order.
Why the partners are pursuing wind-assisted towing
The main goals are straightforward: burn less fuel and cut the towing duration. A transoceanic tow consumes a serious amount of fuel, and any meaningful reduction hits emissions directly.
For SBM Offshore, this isn’t just about one voyage. Laurent Le Touze, SBM Offshore’s Group Technology and Product Development Director, described decarbonization as “one of our strategic priorities,” framing the project as a way to explore new opportunities in lower-carbon offshore logistics more broadly.
TotalEnergies is on the same page. Frédéric Beys, TotalEnergies GranMorgu Project Director, said improving energy efficiency “remains a constant driver” in the company’s developments and described Beyond the Sea’s solution as one that “fully aligns with this objective.” Worth noting: the kite system is designed to work alongside conventional propulsion, not replace it. On a vessel the size of an FPSO, that complementary role is exactly what makes it viable.
How the SeaKite® 2400 works and what the project will test
The SeaKite® 2400 is an automated kite that generates traction force and adjusts its output as wind conditions shift during the voyage. No one needs to manually manage it the whole time—it’s built to adapt on its own.
Beyond fuel savings, the project has specific technical goals. The team will test the kite wing’s launching and recovery system under real operational conditions, which is a critical checkpoint. A system that performs well in controlled environments still has to prove itself in the open ocean. Data collected throughout the voyage will feed into digital modeling for system sizing optimization—what the team learns on this tow could directly shape how future versions get specified and deployed.
This is described as a first-of-a-kind application of kite traction towing for an FPSO, which tells you something about both the ambition and the complexity involved.
A phased R&D approach and safety criteria govern project progression
The project doesn’t jump straight to open-ocean deployment. It follows a structured, phased R&D approach moving through technology development and qualification, cost assessment, and operational readiness—in that order. Before the SeaKite® 2400 gets installed on the FPSO in China, an intensive onshore test program has to be completed. That ground-level validation phase is built into the structure deliberately.
Advancement from one phase to the next isn’t automatic. Each stage depends on meeting predefined technical and safety criteria, and if those benchmarks aren’t met, the project doesn’t move forward. Given the complexity of applying this technology to an offshore vessel rather than a standard cargo ship, close coordination between all stakeholders is described as essential—the risk management approach has to be tailored specifically to this type of vessel.
Background: Kite traction technology and maritime decarbonization
Beyond the Sea is a French company founded by Yves Parlier, who built the business around the idea that kite traction can meaningfully contribute to decarbonizing maritime transport across different vessel types and use cases. The company specializes in scalable kite traction solutions positioned as an alternative to conventional propulsion methods.
Kite-assisted propulsion has been explored for cargo and commercial shipping in various forms, but applying it to an FPSO at this scale is new territory. FPSOs are among the largest and most complex vessels in the offshore industry, which raises the technical bar considerably. Maritime shipping and offshore logistics are under growing regulatory and industry pressure to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and kite traction is one of several wind-assisted propulsion technologies being evaluated as part of that push.
Opening the door to adoption of kite traction
The agreement between STS JV, TotalEnergies EP Suriname, and Beyond the Sea marks a concrete step toward applying wind-assisted propulsion to large-scale offshore logistics. The SeaKite® 2400 will be evaluated during the GranMorgu FPSO’s tow from China to Suriname, with the goals of reducing fuel use and validating the technology under real conditions.
A phased structure governs the project, with mandatory safety and technical checkpoints at each stage. An onshore test program comes first, before any integration on the vessel itself. If the demonstration succeeds, it could open the door to wider adoption of kite traction for large offshore vessels — a segment of maritime transport that’s seen very few wind-assisted propulsion solutions so far.
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
