08/11/2023 – 10:38
Vale informed this Wednesday, 8, that it signed a contract with the shipowner Asyad, from Oman, for the implementation of rotating sails on a Valemax, the largest ore transport ship in the world, measuring 362 meters long, 65 meters wide and capacity for 400 thousand tons of cargo.
In a statement, the company says that the technology, developed by the English manufacturer Anemoi, uses wind propulsion to provide gains in energy efficiency and reduced emissions.
The expectation is that the adaptation on the Sohar Max ship will be completed in the second quarter of 2024 for the beginning of the testing period.
According to Vale, the five cylindrical rotors on the Valemax will be around 35 meters high and 5 meters in diameter, which represents twice the sail area of the rotors used on the Guaibamax (capacity of 325 thousand tons). This will allow efficiency gains of up to 6% and a consequent reduction of up to 3 thousand tons of CO2 equivalent per ship per year.
“The installation of rotating sails on Sohar Max is the sixth and final agreement planned with Asyad for the implementation of innovative technology pilots on four ships chartered by Vale”, he informs.
Previous projects have included the use of silicone paint to reduce resistance, the installation of frequency inverters to reduce electrical consumption and the use of hydrodynamic devices to improve propulsion. Real-time data collection systems were installed on all ships to monitor technologies.
The company recalls that these actions to incorporate cutting-edge technologies in navigation are part of the Ecoshipping program, an R&D initiative created by Vale’s navigation area to meet the company’s challenge of reducing its carbon emissions, in line with the goals defined by the Organization International Maritime (IMO).
“Wind energy will play a central role in the strategy of decarbonizing iron ore maritime transport”, states Vale’s Naval Engineering Manager, Rodrigo Bermelho, in the note.
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