U-Ming has become the first Taiwanese shipowner to adopt a wind propulsion system – rotor sails, completing the installation of four units on its 325,000 DWT VLOC Grand Pioneer.
The 35-metre tall folding Rotor Sails, supplied by UK-based Anemoi Marine Technologies, were installed at COSCO Zhoushan Shipyard during the vessel’s scheduled dry-docking in September.
Anemoi said its “plug-and-play” method allowed the sails to be lifted directly onto the deck, cutting installation work to just 1.5 days, followed by five days of commissioning and testing.
Anemoi’s team will join the vessel’s maiden voyage from Zhoushan to Singapore to support crew training and operational handover.
U-Ming said the move represents a major milestone in its decarbonisation strategy and underlines its role as an early adopter of innovative clean technologies.
