The “NSU Tubarao” is one of the largest bulkers in the world. Thanks to modern rotor sails, the ship will sail with greater fuel efficiency in future.
The British company Anemoi Marine Technologies has completed the installation of five 35 m high rotor sails on the “NSU Tubarao”. The vessel is a 400,000 dwt VLOC class ore carrier. It is owned by the Japanese bulk shipping company NS United Kaiun Kaisha (NSU) and chartered by the mining group Vale International for the transportation of iron ore.
Delivered in 2020, the “NSU Tubarao” is 361 m long and 65 m wide. With a carrying capacity of 399,717 dwt, it is one of the largest bulkers in the world. The five rotor sails on board are 35 m high and have a diameter of 5 m. They maximize the Magnus effect, which generates lift and thrust and thus significantly reduces the propulsion requirement of the machines for a certain speed.
For Anemoi, the project is the fourth installation of a wind-assisted propulsion system on a vessel chartered by Vale. The sails are expected to reduce the fuel consumption of the “NSU Tubarao” by between 6 and 12% annually.
The sails were installed during a scheduled docking at the Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard in China. They are equipped with a folding mechanism to ensure flexibility during cargo handling. The NSU shipping company is combining the sails with digital solutions to optimize energy consumption and the ship’s route, increase the ship’s efficiency and maximize the use of wind power. Among other things, software from Mantas FuelOpt and the Voyage Optimization Toolbox from Finnish company Napa are being used.
The ship has also been equipped with a new shaft generator to further increase efficiency. It should also further reduce fuel consumption when using the Anemoi rotor sails. Anemoi has integrated its rotor sail technology into the ship’s shaft generator, ensuring seamless coordination between wind propulsion and on-board power supply. Thanks to NSU’s forward-thinking approach to sustainable innovation, this installation is one of the most efficient retrofit projects for wind propulsion, the UK company said.
“The scale of this project demonstrates the market’s growing confidence in wind power as a key enabler for lower emission shipping,” said Clare Urmston, CEO of Anemoi. “By working with progressive partners such as NSU, Vale and ClassNK, we can further develop rotor sail technology and demonstrate how optimizing propulsion integration and navigation for wind support offers even greater benefits.”
“At NSU, our goal is to support our partners with the most efficient vessels in the world,” said Toru Fujita, Director and Managing Director of NSU. “The NSU Tubarao’s rotor sails and the advanced systems that maximize their fuel-saving potential are a perfect example of this. We are pleased to have completed this successful installation in scheduled dry dock in close cooperation with Anemoi and the NSU team.”
