Danish liner giant Maersk is taking wind-assisted propulsion into its containership fleet, signing up to install a 35 m rotor sail on one of its 8,700 teu ships next year.
British supplier Anemoi Marine Technologies will design and manufacture a single fixed rotor measuring 5 m in diameter and 35 m high for a vessel from the Maersk Lima class. Installation is scheduled for mid-2027.
Maersk plans to test the system during normal commercial operation, primarily on North and South Atlantic routes, to gather operating data before deciding whether the technology has wider relevance across its fleet.
Anemoi said the installation will be the first use of rotor sails on a containership. The company typically fits three to five rotors on large ships, making the single-sail Maersk project a relatively contained pilot rather than a full-scale deployment.
Rotor sails use the Magnus effect to generate additional thrust from wind, reducing the load on the main engine when conditions are suitable. Anemoi has already deployed the technology across bulk carriers and has been working on designs for tankers and LNG carriers.
SplashTech reported in June that Anemoi, Hafnia and Guangzhou Shipyard International had secured DNV approval in principle for integrating 5 m by 35 m folding rotors into MR tanker designs. Anemoi has also developed installation concepts for ultramaxes with NACKS.
The AP Møller Holding name is not entirely new to the technology. Splash reported in 2019 that an independent trial of two Norsepower rotor sails aboard a Maersk Tankers LR2 produced verified fuel savings of 8.2% over a year, equivalent to around 1,400 tonnes of CO2. Maersk Tankers is separate from container shipping operation, making the new project the first such move into the liner fleet.
