Oldendorff to develop wind-assisted solution for dry bulk carriers

Dry bulk shipping company Oldendorff is embarking on a joint-venture project to developed wind-assisted propulsion for its carriers, the company said Jan. 26.

Depending on the vessel the sails are fitted to, they could assist in long-haul voyages, Oldendorff said in a statement. Long haul shipping is a difficult sector to apply green technologies to because of the few opportunities to bunker, according to sources.

The project is scheduled for completion in 2022 and is intended to break down barriers for installing rotor sail technology and to pave the way for commercial-ready applications across the industry in the short term, the German company said.

Oldendorff's partners in the project at Anemoi Marine Technologies, Lloyd's Register and Shanghai merchant Ship Design and Research.

The technology is designed to save on rather than eliminate fuel use. It involves mechanical sails which, when powered to rotate harness wind to provide additional thrust.

The sails are mounted with a folding system to move them between a horizontal and vertical positions, to ensure they do not interfere with cargo operations and air draft limitations.

"By fitting vertical rotors on a Newcastlemax bulk carrier of 207,000 DWT, wind propulsion can be tested on long haul voyages," Oldendorff said. "Once the design and study phases have been concluded, the results obtained will determine whether we proceed with the installation of the wind rotor technology aboard one of our vessels."

While there are a number of options available, they are best matched to short-sea, inland waterways or coastal vessels, Roger Strevens, vice president-global sustainability at shipping and logistics company Wallenius Wilhelmsen, told S&P Global Platts in an interview earlier in January. Such ships have little storage capacity on board but can refuel frequently.

"It's an entirely different ballgame when it comes to deepsea shipping and vessels like ours, which may only be replenished three times a year," Strevens said.

The International Maritime Organization is targeting a 40% decrease in carbon intensity in the global fleet by compared with 2008 levels buy 2030 and a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the global fleet by 2050.

The shipping industry is therefore having to find ways to reduce emissions and a range of options are presenting themselves, such as ammonia, biofuels and methanol.