A roadmap to aid decarbonisation

Last year, IMO member states at the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting in November failed to agree an increase in shipping’s ambitions to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or authorise a US $5 billion research and development fund.
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Secretary General, Guy Platten, said at the time: “Governments can’t keep kicking the can down the road.”

“Every delay moves us further away from reaching pressing climate goals. We will continue to work with governments to agree to the suite of measures which the industry has proposed, including the US $5 billion-dollar R&D fund as an immediate step to be followed by a levy-based carbon price for shipping.”

It was back in October 2021 that the ICS submitted plans to the IMO detailing urgent measures which they believed governments had to take to help the industry achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.

In the submission, shipping accepted the vital need to accelerate decarbonisation timelines. But it stated that a net-zero target by 2050 will only be plausible if governments and stakeholders take the necessary actions.

A clear way forward
Anemoi, a global provider of proven wind technology, believes installing Rotor Sails as retrofit or newbuild could be part of the solution for the maritime community as it looks to reduce carbon emissions significantly.

Rotor Sails were first fitted to a vessel over a century ago but have been successfully reimagined by Anemoi engineers for modern use. These tall cylindrical sails can be installed on the main deck, bow or elsewhere with sufficient space.

The Anemoi Rotor Sail System is comprised of the Rotor Sail itself, the Foundation, Deployment System (if required), wind sensors and Electrical, Control, and Automation systems. The main components of the Rotor Sails are the “Rotor” (the cylindrical, rotating part), the Tower, upper and lower bearings, and the electrical drive system.

An electric motor is used to rotate the sails in order to harness the renewable power of the wind and propel the ship. The Rotor Sails make use of the aerodynamic phenomenon known as the ‘Magnus Effect’. As the cylinder rotates within an airflow, a forward thrust force perpendicular to the apparent wind direction is created, which delivers additional thrust to the vessel. The thrust generated can either provide additional vessel speed or maintain vessel speed by reducing power from the main engine. The obvious benefit from this is less fuel burned and reduced emissions.

A solution that’s making waves
In conjunction with Tufton Investment Management Ltd, Anemoi secured the prestigious 2021 ‘Wind Propulsion Innovation Award for developers of innovative technology and installations’. The award related to ‘TR Lady’, a CS Marine design 82,000-dwt Kamsarmax bulker, built in 2017 by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group, and managed by Tufton.

When looking at fuel savings for bulk carriers, Anemoi’s research suggests a VLOC fitted with six Rotor Sails could achieve an annual 15.5% fuel and emission reduction based on a Qingdao-Tubarao round trip. This equates to c.1,437 tonnes of fuel and c.4,607 tonnes of carbon per year.

Many shipowners are proactively looking at investing in future-proof technologies. It’s clear Rotor Sails have the potential and scope to facilitate the push towards industry-wide decarbonisation.
Source: By Nick Contopoulos, COO, Anemoi