IN A joint effort between three parties, a Norsepower Rotor Sail (NPRS) has been installed onboard MV Koryu, a Nippon Marine operated combination carrier.
The installation of the rotor was completed with collaboration from BHP, Norsepower, and Pan Pacific Copper, carried out in June this year, with Koryu now on her maiden voyage post-installation from Japan to Chile.
Finnish company Norsepower, which specialises in wind propulsion systems, have designed the Rotor Sail as a modernized version of a Flettner rotor, and uses the scientific concept of the Magnus effect to rotate the cylindrical sail and generate thrust.
This allows the vessel to throttle back on the main engines when wind conditions are favourable, both saving fuel and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The rotor sail, standing at 35 metres tall with a diameter of 5 metres, has a tilting foundation that allows it to be lowered down to facilitate cargo loading and discharge operations at ports.
It is estimated the NPRS will provide between 5 and 6 percent fuel savings on average on the route between Chile and Japan, although the parties that contributed to the installation will monitor the performance onboard during her subsequent journey/s to assess the actual fuel savings figures.
BHP’s vice president maritime Rashpal Bhatti said, “There are multiple onboard innovations that have potential to achieve GHG emissions reduction (and) we are pleased to have collaborated with PPC and Norsepower, our like-minded ecosystem partners, to retrofit the Norsepower Rotor Sail on MV Koryu”.
“(Chile-Japan) is one of the longest routes globally with such conditions, allowing the vessel to benefit from the longest ton/mile wind propulsion.”
Norsepower’s CEO Heikki Pöntynen said, “This partnership exemplifies how industry leaders can come together to drive positive environmental change”.
“The successful retrofit of Norsepower Rotor Sail will reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity by enhancing fuel efficiency in the ship. We look forward to tracking the measurable impact of this installation in real-world operations.”
Vessel operators Nippon Marine are a member of Japanese logistics company SENKO group and are co-owned by SENKO and JX Advanced Metals.
Koryu carries copper concentrates from Chile to Japan, and sulphuric acid from Japan to Chile to facilitate a multi-year agreement between BHP and PPC.
BHP say the cargo capacity utilization of Koryu, deadweight tonnage 53762, is one of the highest in the industry.
PPC executive officer Tomonori Uemura spoke as to the overall goal of the project;
“This project, which aims to reduce GHG emissions intensity in maritime transportation between Japan and Chile, is a symbol of our cooperation with our partners to progress towards a decarbonised society, and we look forward to seeing the rotor sail’s performance.”
The collaboration follows BHP’s recent move to shortlist eight potential companies to build, operate, and supply an ammonia-fuelled bulker.
