Brazilian mining giant Vale has become the first bulker owner and charterer to fit Norsepower wind rotor sails on a VLOC newbuilding.
Five 24 metre-high tilting rotors have been installed on the Pan Ocean-owned, 325,000-dwt guaibamax vessel Sea Zhoushan.
The rotor sails are estimated to cut fuel and emissions by up to 8% on routes between China and Brazil, amounting to a CO2 saving of 3,400 tonnes per year.
Norsepower chief executive Tuomas Riski said the installation was by far the biggest it has made on any ship, with previous projects having involved a Maersk Tankers’ 110,000-dwt product carrier and ferries mainly operating in Europe.
The new vessel was built at China’s New Times Shipbuilding in Jingjiang and the sails were fitted at PaxOcean Engineering Zhoushan.
“If the pilot proves effective, it is estimated that at least 40% of the fleet will be able to use the technology, which would result in a reduction of almost 1.5% of Vale’s annual iron ore maritime transport emissions,” Vale shipping technical manager Rodrigo Bermelho said.
