A.P. Moller-Maersk has selected UK-based wind propulsion technology supplier Anemoi Marine Technologies to install a rotor sail system on one of its container vessels, the companies announced this week. Anemoi will design, manufacture and deliver a 5-meter diameter, 35-meter high fixed rotor sail for a vessel in Maersk’s 8,700 TEU Lima class, with installation scheduled for mid-2027. The system will be tested during the ship’s regular commercial operations on North and South Atlantic routes, gathering data on fuel savings and emissions reductions before Maersk decides on wider fleet rollout. Rotor sails use the Magnus effect, generating thrust from a rotating cylinder that allows vessels to reduce main-engine power in favorable wind conditions.
The project represents the first application of Anemoi’s rotor sail technology to a large container vessel; the company has previously installed the systems on bulk carriers and tankers, including a Maersk Tankers LR2 that saw verified fuel savings of 8.2 percent over a year in a 2019 trial. Anemoi CEO Clare Urmston called it a pioneering collaboration, while Maersk’s Head of Fleet Technology, Ole Graa Jakobsen, said the pilot would help the company build practical experience with wind-assisted propulsion and assess its relevance for container shipping more broadly. The move comes as carriers explore a range of technologies to cut fuel consumption and emissions ahead of the IMO’s 2050 net-zero target, with wind propulsion largely confined until now to bulkers and tankers rather than the tightly scheduled, deck-constrained container segment.
Source: gCaptain — https://gcaptain.com/maersk-to-test-rotor-sail-on-containership-in-industry-first/
Tags: Maersk, Decarbonization, Wind Propulsion, Anemoi
