• Valemax Sohar Max has just completed a voyage from China to the Port of Tubarão, Brazil
• 5 rotor sails were installed, 35 m high and 5 m in diameter each
• Expectation is for efficiency gains of 6% and reduction of 3,000 tons of CO2equ./year

One of the largest ships in the world with a wind propulsion system docked in Brazil last week, at the Port of Tubarão, in Vitória (ES), Brazil. Vale, in partnership with the Omani shipowner Asyad, has started the test period with rotor sails on the Sohar Max, a Valemax-type ship, 362 meters long and with a capacity of 400 thousand tons of cargo. The technology, developed by the English manufacturer Anemoi Marine Technologies, uses wind energy to achieve energy efficiency gains and reduce emissions. The Sohar Max test is the fifth wind energy project installed on ships that provide service to Vale, supported or financed by the company, on vessels of different sizes. Two more projects are planned by the end of 2025. 
 

Credit: Vale's Archive
 

The pilot project at Sohar Max is the largest ever carried out on a global level. In October, in China, the five cylindrical rotors were installed, about 35 meters high and 5 meters in diameter each. The ship made its first voyage with the technology installed and will continue to test the results on future voyages - the expectation is that the sails will allow efficiency gains of up to 6% and a consequent annual reduction of up to 3,000 tons of CO2 equivalent per ship.

"Since 2010, Vale has been operating with highly efficient ships and, in recent years, has fostered initiatives for the adoption of wind energy, which will play a central role in the decarbonization of maritime transport of iron ore," says Vale's Director of Shipping, Rodrigo Bermelho. "This project reinforces this tradition of Vale's shipping area of investing in innovation and stimulating the modernization of the fleet to reduce emissions, in partnership with shipowners."

In addition to the Sohar Max, since 2021 Vale has been financing tests with rotor sails on Sea Zhoushan, a Guaibamax, in partnership with the Korean shipowner Pan Ocean. In parallel, it supports 5 other wind energy projects on ships that carry the company's ores, in projects promoted by shipowners.

The installation of rotor sails in Sohar Max is the sixth and most recent agreement with Asyad for the deployment of pilots of innovative technologies on four ships chartered by Vale. Previous projects have included the use of silicone paint to reduce resistance, the installation of frequency inverters to reduce electrical consumption, and the use of hydrodynamic devices to improve propulsion. Real-time data collection systems were installed on all ships to monitor the technologies.
 

Credit: Vale's Archive

These actions to incorporate cutting-edge technologies in Shipping are part of the Ecoshipping program, an R&D initiative created by Vale to meet the company's challenge of reducing its carbon emissions, in line with the goals set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

How do rotor sails work?

The cylindrical rotors rotate to create a pressure difference in order to move the ship forward, from a phenomenon known as the Magnus effect. The use of this technology allows the reduction of power and fuel consumption of the main engine of the vessel when wind conditions are favorable, saving fuel and maintaining speed and travel time.