U-Ming to install rotor sails on a bulk carrier
Taiwanese shipping company U-Ming will install four rotor sails on one of its very large ore carriers (VLOC).
PHOTO: Illustration of bulk carrier Grand Pioneer fitted with rotor sails. Anemoi Marine
The 325,000 DWT vessel Grand Pioneer will be equipped with four 35-metre rotor sails supplied by Anemoi Marine, a London-based manufacturer.
A rotor sail is a modernised form of Flettner rotor based on the Magnus effect, which creates air pressure to cause spinning. This allows the ship's main engine to reduce power during favourable wind conditions, cutting fuel consumption while maintaining operational speed.
The installation is expected to be completed by late 2025.
The rotor sails are expected to achieve fuel savings of 10-12% on deep-sea routes between China, Brazil, South Africa and Australia, Anemoi Marine claims.
Rotor sails are gaining traction among shipowners to improve vessel efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.
This month, Finnish cleantech company Norsepower installed two 20-meter rotor sails on a large dual-fuel liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier. Meanwhile, German shipping firm Oldendorff Carriers completed the successful retrofitting of rotor sails on one of its cargo vessels.
By Tuhin Roy
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