Berge Bulk’s ‘Berge Neblina’, a 388,000 dwt Valemax Ore Carrier, is currently completing its voyage to Brazil following the successful installation of four 5m x 35m rotor sails from Anemoi Marine Technologies.
The installation, which took place during the vessel’s scheduled dry docking, was completed at Yiu Lian Dockyards (Shekou) in China. The rotor sails have been installed on Anemoi’s bespoke folding deployment system, whereby the sails can be folded from the vertical to mitigate impact on air draught and cargo handling operations when in port.
Paolo Tonon, Berge Bulk Technical Director said: “Leveraging the latest in wind technology to reduce our fleet’s emissions is an important part of Berge Bulk’s ‘Maritime Marshall Plan’ for decarbonisation. We are optimistic that these rotor sails can deliver up to 8% carbon reduction.”
Kim Diederichsen, CEO Anemoi, said: “Anemoi’s collaboration with Berge Bulk demonstrates how we are both working in partnership to ultimately secure shipping’s zero-emission future. Anemoi remains committed to maintaining its position as a leading provider of critical vessel decarbonisation technology.”
Rotor sails, also referred to as ‘flettner rotors’, comprise vertical cylinders which, when driven to rotate, harness the renewable power of the wind to propel ships. These highly efficient mechanical sails capitalise on the aerodynamic phenomenon known as the Magnus effect to provide additional thrust to vessels. By leveraging wind energy, Berge Neblina will see increased efficiency by reducing the load on the main engine while maintaining speed, therefore substantially reducing fuel consumption and resulting in lower GHG emissions.
The technology is being embraced by ship owners, especially in the bulk sector, aiming to achieve net-zero shipping emissions. Rotor sails have emerged as a technology to augment and enhance the energy performance of vessels. Rotor sails are compact, and offer a large thrust force to propel ships, helping them comply with emission reduction benchmarks such as CII and EEDI/EEXI.
Image: ‘Berge Neblina’ with rotor sails fitted (source: Anemoi / Navigate PR)
