Giant 400,000 dwt VLOC sets new wind installation record

Anemoi Marine Technologies has completed the installation of five rotor sails onboard the 400,000 dwt VLOC Sohar Max making it the largest vessel to receive wind propulsion technology to date.

Sohar Max is a first-generation Valemax, built in 2012 in China’s Rongsheng shipyard, and owned by Omani shipowner Asyad.

The rotor sails were retrofitted onto the VLOC at the COSCO Zhoushan shipyard in China. Anemoi also installed a folding deployment system, which will enable the sails to be folded from a vertical position to mitigate any impacts on the vessel’s cargo handling operations.

With the sails in place, the vessel will be able to reduce its fuel consumption by up to 6% and cut carbon emissions by up to 3,000 tonnes annually. The ore carrier has just completed a voyage to Tubarao, during which the rotor sail test period began. Testing will continue on future voyages.

Anemoi has been developing solutions for Vale’s vessels for several years. In June last year, Singapore-based owner Berge Bulk signed up the 2012-built 388,000 dwt valemax Berge Neblina for four folding rotor sails.

In October this year, Vale announced it is also set to install Anemoi’s rotor sails on the 400,000 dwt VLOC NSU Tubarao, which is owned by NS United Kaiun Kaisha. The project is due for completion in September 2025.