The Sohar Max, a 360-meter Very Large Ore Carrier (VLOC) chartered by Vale, has set a milestone as the largest vessel fitted with wind-assisted propulsion. Anemoi Marine Technologies successfully installed five 35-meter rotor sails on the ship in October 2024 at COSCO Zhoushan shipyard, China.
These rotor sails, mounted on a folding deployment system to ensure smooth cargo operations, are expected to deliver fuel savings of up to 6%, reducing annual carbon emissions by around 3,000 tonnes. Initial testing occurred during the ship’s voyage to Tubarão, Brazil, with further trials planned.
This retrofit is part of Vale's broader decarbonization initiative, which includes silicone hull coatings, hydrodynamic devices, and frequency inverters. Wind-assisted technology has also been deployed on other Vale-chartered vessels, including MOL’s Camellia Dream and the upcoming NSU Tubarao.
Nick Contopoulos of Anemoi hailed the project as a significant advancement in wind propulsion, underscoring its viability even for the largest ships. As regulations like the EU Emissions Trading System incentivize greener operations, wind-assisted technologies are gaining momentum across the maritime sector.
