Anemoi gains funding to advance rotor sail design
The company gets £1.2mln under the sixth round of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.
The development of a next-generation folding sail system will be tailored to Kamsarmax and Panamax bulk carriers, with aerodynamic design enhancements to increase fuel savings.
The UK Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition has so far directed £136mln in government funding to engineering innovators developing maritime decarbonisation solutions.
Clare Urmston, CEO of Anemoi, notes, ‘While our rotor sails are already efficient and high-performing, ongoing innovation is essential to unlock further efficiency gains, adapt to evolving vessel designs, and meet increasingly ambitious environmental targets.’
Under the seven-month project, the company will design, build and test a prototype of a new folding system for its 3.5m rotor sail. Folding systems have previously only been used on larger 5m sails and it is hoped the new design will reduce operational obstacles for the uptake of wind-assisted propulsion.
In addition to the folding system development, the project will cover additional design optimisations, which are expected to improve the aerodynamic performance of wind-assisted vessels, delivering increased fuel savings and emissions reductions compared to Anemoi's current state-of-the-art rotor sails.
The test rig will be manufactured by UK company Pressure Design Hydraulics Engineers, with aerodynamic enhancements developed in partnership with Cape Horn Engineering, supported by Stehr Consulting.
Victoria Steamship, a UK-based shipbroker, will contribute insights based on its fleet of nine vessels operating globally in the bulk carrier segment, a primary market for folding rotor sails.
The UK innovation accelerator Connected Places Catapult will conduct market research and a port and vessel integration study.
