First Rotor Sails Retrofitted to MOL Capesize Bulker Operating for Vale

The bulker segment continues to be at the forefront of the deployment of wind-assisted propulsion with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Brazilian mining giant Vale reporting the first retrofit of rotor sails to a capesize bulker. It adds wind-assisted propulsion to another category of ships in the segment which has already deployed rotors and rigid sails to the largest bulkers as well as smaller vessels.

The Camellia Dream, a 206,800 dwt bulker built in Japan and delivered a decade ago, was recently retrofitted with rotor sails manufactured by Norsepower. The vessel which has an overall length of 980 feet (299 meters) was retrofitted with two rotors. Each stands approximately 115 feet (35 meters) with a diameter of 16.5 feet (5 meters). The ship is registered in Japan.

The vessel departed Ponta da Madeira, Brazil earlier on August 17 on the return leg of its first voyage since the retrofit was completed. It had departed the Far East in early July arriving in South America in mid-August. This is the vessel’s normal routing transporting iron ore for Vale under a midterm contract with MOL.

According to companies, the vessel is expected to achieve about 6 to 10 percent fuel and GHG emission reductions. The rotors are being combined with voyage optimization technology to maximize the results.

It is the latest in a series of efforts by Vale in conjunction with ship operators. Vale reports it has a target for a 15 percent reduction in scope emissions by 20235, related to the value chain of which shipping is included. The company does not own the vessels so calculates the savings as part of its broader supply chain.

Vale began employing wind-assisted technology with a new build, Sea Zhoushan, a 325,000 dwt bulker that was fitted with five rotors in 2021. The company also reached an agreement for the Sohar Max, a 400,000 dwt ore carrier owned by Asyad of Oman to be fitted with five rotors. It is the first installation of rotors on the world’s largest bulk carriers.

Other operators in the segment are also retrofitting rotors to smaller classes of bulkers. The vessel’s long routing and relatively slow sailing speeds mean they are well suited for the technology.