Taiwanese shipping company U-Ming Marine Transport Corporation (U-Ming) and the UK-based wind propulsion technology provider Anemoi Marine Technologies have completed the rotor sail installation on U-Ming’s Grand Pioneer, a 325,000 dwt very large ore carrier (VLOC).
U-Ming is understood to be the first Taiwanese shipowner to adopt rotor sails, marking a major milestone in the company’s decarbonization strategy.
The four 35-meter-tall, 5-meter-diameter folding (tilting) rotor sails were delivered fully assembled and dynamically balanced from Anemoi’s production base on the Yangtze River and transported by barge to COSCO Zhoushan shipyard.
In a streamlined plug-and-play process, the sails were lifted directly onto the deck and secured in place. This method significantly reduces the shipyard’s scope of work and keeps installation time short. For this installation, it took only 1.5 days to lift and fix the rotor sails in position onboard, with a further 5 days for commissioning and testing all four rotor sails and folding systems once the shipyard had completed its work during the vessel’s scheduled dry dock in September 2025.
“The installation of Rotor Sails on Grand Pioneer marks an important step in U-Ming’s decarbonisation journey and reflects our belief that the future of global shipping must be both sustainable and competitive,” Jeff Hsu , Vice Chairman of U-Ming, commented.
“Through the collaboration with our forward-thinking partner Anemoi, we are turning strategy into action by reducing emissions, enhancing efficiency, and delivering long-term value. This initiative also demonstrates our commitment to innovation and our contribution to the industry’s shared ambition of achieving net zero by 2050.”
“U-Ming’s decision to adopt Rotor Sails, particularly as the first in the Taiwanese market to do so, demonstrates their strength, ambition and clear focus on decarbonisation. Our collaboration reflects the growing momentum behind wind propulsion as a critical pathway to lower emission shipping, and we look forward to analysing the performance data from upcoming voyages,” Clare Urmston , CEO of Anemoi, said.
Following completion of the installation, Grand Pioneer will resume deep-sea service between Brazil and China under a long-term charter with Brazilian mining company Vale. The vessel is projected to achieve annual fuel and emissions reductions of approximately 10–12% on average .
In related news, U-Ming recently completed the first B24 biofuel bunkering operation on its newbuild 64,000 dwt bulk carrier as ‘a major step forward’ on its journey to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The milestone operation was conducted in late July 2025 on Asian Progress, the 199.9-meter bulk carrier with an LNG-ready classification.
This content is available after accepting the cookies.