WAPS developer, Anemoi, wins government grant
Photo from Anemoi’s production base of existing 5m diameter folding Rotor Sails. UK CMDC funding will be used to develop the folding system for Anemoi’s smaller, 3.5m diameter Rotor Sails
(Source: Anemoi)
UK-based Anemoi Marine Technologies, a developer of wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS), has been awarded GBP 1.2 million in the UK Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition. The funding will support the development of new folding sail systems designed for Kamsarmax and Panamax bulk carriers.
The seven-month project will involve the design, construction and testing of a folding system for Anemoi’s 3.5m-high rotor sail. Lowering the sails during port operations will significantly reduce operational constraints on the uptake of WAPS. The company’s systems are designed to minimise operational hold-ups and it already offers a system on which sails are mounted to move along a ship’s deck.
The prototype will be manufactured Pressure Design Hydraulics Engineers of the UK. Aerodynamic enhancements will be developed in partnership with Cape Horn Engineering and Stehr Consulting, the company said. Meanwhile, UK-based shipbroker, Victoria Steamship, will provide guidance based on its fleet of nine bulk carriers operating globally.
Anemoi CEO, Clare Urmston, said: “This funding will support Anemoi in advancing the next generation of rotor sail technology. 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.”
The UK Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition has so far directed GBP 136 million in government funding to engineering innovators developing new systems to support maritime decarbonisation.
