On August 20, the large-scale ore carrier “Camellia Dream”, which has installed 35-meter folding rotor sails at COSCO SHIPPING Heavy Industry (Zhoushan), berthed for the first time at Punta de Madrigal, Brazil, entering into operation officially.
“Camellia Dream” is the first rotor sail installation project completed by COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Zhoushan), and it is the first case of horizontal installation of 35-meter folding rotor sails in China, and also the world’s first case of installation of rotor sails on a capesize bulk carrier, which marks a new progress in the application of energy-saving and emission-reduction technologies for green ships.
It marks a new progress in the application of energy-saving and emission reduction technologies for green ships and opens a new chapter of green shipping.
“Camellia Dream” is a 200,000 DWT bulk carrier with overall length of 299.94 meters, beam of 50 meters, and depth of 24.7 meters for transporting iron ore. The ship has undergone routine repairs at COSCO Shipping Heavy Industries (Zhoushan), such as the addition of two 35-meter folding marine rotor sails, as well as a 10-year special inspection.
It is reported that the rotor sail is a kind of auxiliary thrust device installed on the deck of a ship and utilizing offshore wind energy to generate auxiliary thrust. Rotor sail has the advantages of good energy saving effect, intelligent operation, safety and reliability.
It is understood that after the installation of rotor sails, the ship’s main engine carbon emissions can be reduced by 6% to 10% based on the operating conditions, which can effectively improve the fuel economy of the whole ship, and provide an efficient energy solution for the green and low-carbon transformation of the shipping industry.
As a key auxiliary thrust device on board, the accuracy of the rotor sail’s installation position is crucial to its performance. This time, the horizontal installation method adopted in “Camellia Dream” is the first time in China, which puts forward extremely high requirements for installation accuracy and lifting operation.The precise installation of the 100 holes on the rotor sail and the base is not only related to the stability of the rotor sail installation, but also affects the wind boosting effect during operation. The whole positioning process requires high precision and meticulous operation.
The successful retrofitting of “Camellia Dream” not only demonstrated the leading advantage of COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Zhoushan) in the field of green ship repair and retrofitting, but also provided valuable construction experience for the subsequent retrofitting of the same type of ships, and provided new power to promote the green and low-carbon development of the shipping industry.