Anemoi Marine Technologies, the UK-based wind-assisted ship propulsion firm, has completed a major retrofit on the 400,000 DWT ore carrier NSU Tubarao.
The installation of five 35-metre Rotor Sails marks another milestone for Anemoi and follows three previous installations on Vale-chartered Very Large Ore Carriers (VLOCs). The project brings the company’s total installed tonnage to more than 1.6 million DWT.
Owned by NS United Kaiun Kaisha (NSU) and chartered by Vale International, the vessel is expected to achieve fuel savings of between 6% and 12% per year through wind-assisted propulsion. The installation was completed in October at Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard in China during the vessel’s scheduled drydocking.
The NSU Tubarao features a folding Rotor Sail design, allowing the units to tilt for efficient cargo handling operations. The vessel also received a new shaft generator as part of its special survey, improving energy efficiency and optimising the interaction between the Rotor Sails and onboard power systems.
NSU has further integrated Manta’s FuelOpt and NAPA’s Voyage Optimisation tools to enhance the vessel’s operational efficiency. The systems automatically adjust main engine power and optimise voyage planning to take advantage of favourable wind conditions while maintaining schedule reliability.
Anemoi said the integration of its Rotor Sail technology with advanced digital solutions and energy efficiency upgrades makes the NSU Tubarao one of the most advanced wind-assisted bulk carriers in operation today.
