Lloyd’s Register has given approval (in principle) for a newcastlemax bulk carrier fitted with Anemoi Rotor Sails which will help “significantly improve” the efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of the design.

Rotor sails are modernized versions of the Flettner rotor, made up of large cylinders which, when rotated, use the Magnus effect to harness the power of the wind to provide auxiliary propulsion to vessels, thereby reducing fuel consumption overall fuel consumption and harmful emissions. Leading space company Norsepower has already installed its version of the Rotor Sail on a handful of ships, including a new super-wide ore carrier chartered from Vale.

The Lloyd’s Register AIP covers the structural integration of a vessel design with six 5 x 30m rotor sails and Anemoi’s track deployment system, which sees the rotor sails move transversely across the deck to avoid interference with cargo handling; and structural integration for a vessel design with four of Anemoi’s 5x35m folding or tilting rotor sails.

Lloyd’s Register says it has assessed the calculation used to estimate the impact the rotor sails will have on the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and validated that new build Newcastlemax would see its EEDI score reduced by 1 .92 to 1.37, a reduction of 29%, by installing six 5x30m Rail Rotor Sails and 1.47 (23% reduction) by installing four 5x35m Folding Rotor Sails.

“We are very pleased with the result of the first vessel included in the JDP. EEDI is an important driver for the installation of Rotor Sail technology and as we get closer to the implementation of EEXI and CII they are also becoming important incentives for Rotor Sails as well as overall reductions in fuel consumption and associated emissions,” said Nick. Contopoulos, CEO of Anemoi. “Having LR pre-validate the impact is a key step in continuing to prove the importance of our technology in the context of the decarbonisation of maritime transport. Both Rotor Sails design configurations (folding and rail) for a Newcastlemax vessel are available to order now.

The Newcastlemax Approval In Principle (AIP) is part of a joint development project signed in 2020, with Anemoi Marine Technologies, Lloyd’s Register, and the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute, bringing together the equipment manufacturer (OEM), the classification, the ship designer and owner to develop a series of energy-efficient ship designs fitted with Rotor Sails. Oldendorff Carriers is the shipping partner for this Newcastlemax design.

Newcastlemax refers to the largest ship that can enter the Australian port of Newcastle, the largest coal port in the world.

Other vessels included in the JDP and to follow are an 85,000 DWT bulk carrier, a very large ore carrier (VLOC), a 114,000 DWT Aframax tanker, a 50,000 DWT MR tanker and a very large crude carrier (VLCC ).

“This collaboration with Anemoi, LR and Oldendorff demonstrates the great potential of Rotor Sail technology to significantly reduce emissions and provide shipowners and charterers with available solutions for regulatory compliance, as we move towards 2030 and beyond. We are very happy to see the market evolve and start placing commercial orders for this renewable technology,” said Wang Gang Yi, Chief Engineer of SDARI.

Chief Innovation Officer, Torsten Barenthin, Oldendorff Carriers, said: “This is an important project as part of Oldendorff Carriers’ commitment to zero. The results demonstrated the impressive impact of Rotor Sails on regulatory obligations, which is a key factor, in addition to the emission reduction benefits. We will continue our evaluation of Anemoi’s technology for our fleet.