Anemoi Marine Technologies, a UK provider of Rotor Sails to the shipping industry, has reached an agreement with COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Co (CHI), one of China’s major shipbuilding organisations. CHI has nine yards capable of up to 7.5m dwt annual production across all major vessel segments and a significant global customer base.

CHI customers will now have the option to install Anemoi's award-winning Rotor Sails on newbuild vessels or retrofit during dry dock. Under the terms of the agreement, the companies can offer a turnkey installation solution to customers.

Rotor Sails, also known as Flettner Rotors, are an energy saving technology. The mechanical sails are comprised of tall cylinders which, when driven to spin, harness the renewable power of the wind to provide auxiliary propulsion to vessels which significantly reduces fuel consumption and lowers harmful emissions entering the atmosphere by 5-30%.

Nick Contopoulos, COO of Anemoi Marine Technologies, said:

“This is another exciting landmark for Anemoi and will accelerate the take-up of our emission reduction technology. We are proud to have secured the commitment of a top Chinese yard group. CHI shares our long-term vision of the role that wind assisted technology can provide in delivering carbon reduction today. We are looking forward to a highly successful co-operation in the years to come and we are currently lining up the first installation opportunities with CHI."

Guo ZhiQiang, Assistant general manager at CHQ of CHI said:

“As an integrated group of shipbuilding and marine engineering enterprises we are committed to supporting the shipping industry’s decarbonisation drive. Our pool of 3000 professional designers and 10,000 highly qualified technicians allows us to integrate the latest and most advanced solutions into the ships we build as well as retrofit in dry dock. We are delighted to be working with Anemoi Marine Technologies and have been impressed by their solution which can be combined with a range of other fuel saving measures.”

Anemoi already has over 170 staff at its production and assembly facilities in Jiangsu Province, China and is currently scaling up production capacity to meet the continued increase in demand.