The technology group Wärtsilä has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UK-based Anemoi Marine Technologies for the future sales and servicing of rotor sail solutions to the shipping industry.
Rotor sails, also referred to as ‘flettner rotors’, are comprised of vertical cylinders which, when driven to rotate, harness the renewable power of the wind to propel ships.
These highly efficient mechanical sails capitalise on the aerodynamic phenomenon known as the Magnus Effect to provide additional thrust to vessels and deliver fuel and emission savings.
“Our patented designs overcome operational constraints such as air draft and cargo handling, making the technology suitable for the majority of shipping sectors. As the industry focuses on emission reduction targets and energy saving, we are collaborating with Wärtsilä to strengthen our offering and facilitate the global uptake of our rotor sails by offering clients a full end-to-end solution including sales, supply and lifecycle support,” says Kim Diederichsen , CEO of Anemoi Marine Technologies. Under the deal, Wärtsilä will fully integrate Anemoi Marine Technologies’ Rotor Sails within its Propulsion Business.
The company said that by offering wind propulsion solutions as an integral part of Wärtsilä’s propulsion offering, compliance with the IMO’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) will be further facilitated.
The duo believes that the collaboration will enable the adoption of wind assisted solutions for most marine vessel types, with the immediate focus likely to be on dry and wet bulk vessels.
Wärtsilä added it would promote the solution for both newbuild projects and for retrofitting to existing ships.
According to the International Windship Association (IWSA), retrofit wind-assist solutions can deliver 5-20% of the power requirement, and thus the savings in fuel, with the potential to reach 30%. An optimised newbuild vessel has an even greater potential for savings, because wind can be used as the primary source of propulsion.
IWSA’s Secretary Gavin Allwright told our publication in an interview earlier this year that there will be 14 large vessels using wind-assisted propulsion in operation by the end of the year, with over 40 vessels expected to use wind as propulsion by the end of 2022 just with current orders and declared projects.