Accelerating Rotor Adoption Through Joint Development Project
A joint development project is launching focusing on seeking to collaborate on the commercial adoption of emission abatement technology. By incorporating shipowners into the project, the goal is to accelerate the adoption of technologies including rotor sails.
Leading the project will be LR (Lloyd’s Register) in collaboration with Anemoi Marine Technologies and the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI). In addition, by opening the joint development project to shipowners, they believe will help ensure that the technology fits the market needs. They believe that this can provide better decision support for the installation of the rotor technology across the range of wet and dry bulk ships.
“As the need to decarbonize the shipping industry becomes more imminent, this project marks an important milestone in the journey that the industry is taking and further demonstrates LR’s commitment to accelerating this transition,” said Mark Darley, LR Marine & Offshore Chief Operating Officer. “Through this JDP we look forward to working with the key stakeholders to develop designs that will meet current and future environmental targets.”
The project will seek to address what the partners called the most significant roadblocks for the commercial adoption of emission abatement technology. By creating a collaboration between original equipment manufacturer, designer, regulator, and shipowner they believe they can agree to a pathway for the commercial success of installed technology on board vessels.
“Anemoi are proud to be teaming up with industry leaders in ship design and classification to develop new energy-efficient rotor sail vessel designs for bulkers and tankers,” said Nick Contopoulos, Anemoi Chief Operating Officer. “This partnership will help owners and charterers select rotor sail technology to future-proof their vessels in line with regulatory, environmental, and commercial drivers. The AiP approved rotor sail vessel designs will give owners confidence when evaluating the technology for either wind ready or full installations. This development, coupled with our collaboration with Wartsila will facilitate volume production and technology roll out at scale.”
In addition to the installation of rotor sails, the project will also look to incorporate other techniques to help improve vessel operations and contribute to reducing emissions. They said vessels could also incorporate new hull forms, new energy management systems, a new powering arrangement, and modified operational requirements.
The project will seek to address a range of vessel types, including bulk carriers between 85,000 and 210,000 DWT as well as a 325,000 DWT very large ore carrier (VLOC). They will also focus designs on different classes of tankers, including a 114,000 DWT Aframax tanker, a 50,000 DWT MR tanker, and a very large crude carrier (VLCC).
LR said it will review the designs following the latest regulatory requirements and will ensure it meets LR’s Rules to issue an Approval in Principle (AiP).