Anemoi: 400,000 dwt NSU ore carrier gets rotor sails

UK-based wind propulsion technology provider Anemoi Marine Technologies has completed the retrofit on one of the largest vessels in the world, the 400,000 dwt ore carrier NSU Tubarao.

Anemoi installed five 35-meter-tall units on the vessel, which is owned by Japanese bulk owner/operator NS United Kaiun Kaisha (NSU) and chartered by Brazilian mining giant Vale International.

The 2020-built bulker is expected to reduce fuel consumption by 6-12% annually using the wind-assisted propulsion system.

This marks the fourth very large ore carrier (VLOC) installation of Anemoi Rotor Sails on vessels chartered by Vale. The completion of this installation means Anemoi has surpassed 1.6 million dwt of vessel tonnage installed with Anemoi Rotor Sails.

The rotor sail installation on the 361-meter-long vessel was completed during scheduled drydocking in October at Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard in China. The rotor sails are deployed using a folding (tilting) mechanism for flexibility during cargo handling. NSU has decided to combine rotor sails with advanced digital solutions that optimize power usage and vessel routing, enhancing fuel efficiency on NSU Tubarao and maximizing the use of wind energy.

During the scheduled special survey, NSU Tubarao was also equipped with a new shaft generator designed to enhance the efficiency of the vessel. This upgrade not only improves the vessel’s own energy performance but also optimizes fuel consumption when operating the rotor sails.

“The scale of this project shows the market’s growing confidence in wind power as a crucial enabler of lower emission shipping. Working with progressive partners like NSU, Vale and Class NK, we are able to advance Rotor Sail technology and show how optimising propulsion integration and navigation for wind assistance can deliver even greater benefits,” Clare Urmston, CEO of Anemoi, highlighted.

“We are pleased to have completed this successful installation, within the scheduled drydock, by strong collaboration of both Anemoi and the NSU team,” Toru Fujita, Director, Managing Executive Officer of NSU, commented.

In related news, Anemoi also completed the rotor sails installation on U-Ming’s Grand Pioneer, a 325,000 dwt ore carrier. The four 35-meter-tall, 5-meter-diameter folding (tilting) rotor sails were delivered fully assembled and dynamically balanced from Anemoi’s production base on the Yangtze River and transported by barge to COSCO Zhoushan shipyard.

Following the installation, the Grand Pioneer resumed deep-sea service between Brazil and China under a long-term charter with Vale.