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Vale Tests Flettner Rotor Wind Power on Giant Ore Carrier

14 May 2021

Leading Flettner rotor manufacturer Norsepower has installed five tilting rotor sails on the deck of a brand new very large ore carrier (VLOC), the Sea Zhoushan, which will be owned by Pan Ocean Ship Management and chartered to Brazilian mining giant Vale. It marks the first installation of Norsepower’s rotor sails on a bulker, one of the largest Flettner rotor installations ever implemented, and one of the first wind-assisted propulsion systems of any kind aboard a vessel of this gigantic size class.

 

The five-rotor project could reduce the 325,000 dwt ship's fuel costs and emissions by about eight percent, according to Norsepower - cutting the ship's annual CO2 emissions by about 3,400 tons. In order to allow cargo operations to proceed smoothly when in port, the rotor sails can be tilted over and out of the way using hydraulic cylinders.

 

The Norsepower system is fully automated, and it detects whenever the wind is strong enough to deliver fuel and emission savings. At that point, the rotor sails start automatically.

 

"We are delighted to be working with Vale, and supporting them to maximize the propulsive power of wind to reduce carbon and other emissions as well as protecting the sustainability of its value chain more broadly," said Tuomas Riski, CEO of Norsepower. “The five tilting rotor sails will allow Vale to maintain flexible cargo operations while also saving fuel and emissions. Installing our rotor sails on [our] first VLOC demonstrates that our technology is adaptable across varied operational profiles and vessel types."

 

According to Norsepower, wind-assisted propulsion is also a viable compliance option for meeting upcoming EEXI and CII rating requirements. All of these advantages are attractive to Vale, which could potentially install rotor sails on a substantial fraction of its fleet.

 

"We are committed to supporting the adoption of clean technology solutions for shipping to ensure that Vale’s sustainability objectives are achieved. Installing five rotor sails will maximize our fuel and emissions savings," said Rodrigo Bermelho, shipping technical manager for Vale. "If the pilot proves effective, it is estimated that at least 40 percent of the fleet will be able to use the technology, which would result in a reduction of almost 1.5 percent of Vale's annual iron ore maritime transport emissions."

 

PUBLISHED MAY 13, 2021 9:05 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Comments (0)


Today
8:03am
Hi Jenna! I made a new design, and i wanted to show it to you.
8:03am
It's quite clean and it's inspired from Bulkit.
8:12am
Oh really??! I want to see that.
8:13am
FYI it was done in less than a day.
8:17am
Great to hear it. Just send me the PSD files so i can have a look at it.
8:18am
And if you have a prototype, you can also send me the link to it.

Monday
4:55pm
Hey Jenna, what's up?
4:56pm
Iam coming to LA tomorrow. Interested in having lunch?
5:21pm
Hey mate, it's been a while. Sure I would love to.
5:27pm
Ok. Let's say i pick you up at 12:30 at work, works?
5:43pm
Yup, that works great.
5:44pm
And yeah, don't forget to bring some of my favourite cheese cake.
5:27pm
No worries

Today
2:01pm
Hello Jenna, did you read my proposal?
2:01pm
Didn't hear from you since i sent it.
2:02pm
Hello Milly, Iam really sorry, Iam so busy recently, but i had the time to read it.
2:04pm
And what did you think about it?
2:05pm
Actually it's quite good, there might be some small changes but overall it's great.
2:07pm
I think that i can give it to my boss at this stage.
2:09pm
Crossing fingers then

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