Maersk to fit rotor sail on container ship
Global shipping firm A.P. Moller-Maersk has selected UK-based wind propulsion technology company Anemoi Marine Technologies to supply a rotor sail system for installation on one of its container vessels.
IMAGE: An illustration of a Maersk container ship fitted with Anemoi’s rotor sail. Anemoi
The 8,700-TEU vessel will be fitted with a 35-metre-high fixed rotor sail, with the installation scheduled for mid-2027.
The system works on the Magnus effect, generating lift as the sail rotates. This allows the vessel to reduce main-engine power in favourable wind conditions, cutting fuel consumption without compromising speed.
The rotor sail will be piloted during the vessel’s regular commercial operations, with the container ship expected to operate on routes across the North and South Atlantic.
The project marks the first installation of rotor sails on a container vessel carrying a broad range of cargoes essential to global trade, including consumer and retail products, industrial equipment and components, Anemoi said.
“We haven't yet seen a wind propulsion retrofit on such a size of container ship, a previous installation being a container based drop in system on a small feeder vessel,” said International Windship Association (IWSA) secretary general Gavin Allwright.
“Looking forward to following this project and as fuel prices and emissions compliance costs grow the business model will continue to strengthen,” he added.
Wind-assisted propulsion is gaining traction among shipowners seeking practical technologies to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. By supplementing conventional engine power with wind-generated thrust, wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS) can improve vessel efficiency while reducing fuel use.
Interest in the technology is also spreading across vessel segments. Norwegian tanker operator Odfjell has ordered a WAPS retrofit for a second tanker, further underscoring the growing momentum behind wind-assisted propulsion.
By Tuhin Roy
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