World News
Trio to Focus on Wind Power in New Vessels Designs
LR, rotor sail manufacturer Anemoi Marine Technologies (Anemoi) and Shanghai Merchant Ship Design have formed a joint development project (JDP) to produce a series of energy efficient vessel designs focused around wind power.
In addition to featuring Anemoi's rotor sail wind-power tech, the designs may also incorporate new hull forms, new energy management systems, a new powering arrangement and modified operational requirements.
Proposed ship types include 85,000 and 210,000 DWT bulk carriers, a 325,000 DWT very large ore carrier (VLOC), a 114,000 DWT aframax tanker, a 50,000 DWT MR tanker and a very large crude carrier (VLCC).
"As the need to decarbonise the shipping industry becomes more imminent, this JDP 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.
With shipbrokers SSY last week saying the lack viable low carbon ship designs was a key reason for the drop in newbuilding orders, the trio's announcement could well be seen as timely.
In December last year Anemoi said the timing was "exactly right" to launch its rotor sail systems more widely in the global market.