World’s Largest Ore Carrier Fitted With Largest Wind Propulsion System To Cut CO2 By 3,000 Tons Yearly

The Sohar Max, the world’s largest ore carrier fitted with a wind propulsion system, recently docked at the Port of Tubarão, in Vitória, Brazil. This marks the completion of its first voyage using rotor sail technology.

The 362-meter-long Valemax-class vessel, capable of carrying 400,000 tons, sailed from China to Brazil, as part of a pilot project by Brazilian mining giant Vale in partnership with Omani shipowner Asyad.

Five rotor sails, each 35 meters tall and 5 meters in diameter were installed on the vessel in October at the COSCO Zhoushan shipyard in China.

These sails use wind energy to boost fuel efficiency and reduce emissions through the Magnus effect, which generates forward thrust as the cylindrical sails rotate.

The rotor sails, developed by UK-based Anemoi Marine Technologies, are expected to reduce the ship’s fuel consumption by 6% annually, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by up to 3,000 tons.

This system also includes a folding mechanism, allowing the ships to be retracted during cargo operations, ensuring operational efficiency.

The Sohar Max project is part of Vale’s Ecoshipping program, which focuses on reducing carbon emissions across its fleet.

Vale has been operating energy-efficient vessels since 2010 and is now integrating advanced technologies to align with global sustainability targets.

Rodrigo Bermelho, Vale’s Director of Shipping, discussed the importance of wind energy in decarbonising maritime transport and also highlighted the company’s investments in fleet modernisation.

Vale has already tested similar rotor sails on other vessels. In 2021, the company supported trials on the Sea Zhoushan, a Guaibamax-class vessel operated by Korean shipowner Pan Ocean.

Two more wind propulsion projects are planned by Vale for completion by 2025, including the installation of rotor sails on another 400,000 dwt vessel, the NSU Tubarão.

The installation on the Sohar Max is the largest wind-assisted propulsion project ever undertaken in the maritime industry.

The vessel is equipped with advanced monitoring systems to collect real-time data, which will be used to evaluate the technology’s long-term performance.

Vale has also collaborated with Finnish company Norsepower and Mitsui O.S.K Lines on previous wind-propulsion initiatives, including retrofitting a bulk carrier with rotor sails earlier this year.

Reference: Vale

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