Mining giant BHP has teamed up with Pan Pacific Copper (PPC), a member of the JX Nippon Mining & Metals group, and Finnish marine wind propulsion system designer Norsepower to slash greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping between BHP’s mines in Chile and PPC’s smelters in Japan.
The plan is for a retrofit installation of Norsepower’s rotor sail system onboard the 2013-built combination carrier Koryu, operated by Nippon Marine, in which JX Nippon Mining & Metals holds a 40% stake.
BHP and PPC have multi-year agreements for the delivery of copper concentrates from Chile to Japan as well as sulphuric acid from Japan to Chile. When installed by the third quarter of 2023, the system should make the 53,800 dwt Koryu the first ever supramax with rotor sail and the cleanest vessel in its category in terms of GHG emissions intensity.
Norsepower’s rotor sails provide a “push-button wind propulsion” system that requires no reefing or crew attention when in operation and is said to be around ten times more efficient than a conventional sail.
“Our vision is to set the standard in bringing sailing back to shipping and empower the maritime industry towards reaching the goal of zero carbon emissions. As fuel prices increase and a carbon levy is initiated, investing in technologies which have proven emissions reductions and fuel savings is essential for long term commercial success,” said Norsepower’s chief sales officer, Jukka Kuuskoski.
This latest partnership with PPC and Norsepower follows BHP’s collaboration agreements in the maritime decarbonisation segment that include the first marine biofuel trial involving an ocean-going vessel bunkered in Singapore; taking delivery of the first of five LNG-fuelled newcastlemax bulk carriers; and joining a consortium to assess the development of an iron ore green corridor between Australia and East Asia. BHP is also a founding member of the Global Maritime Decarbonisation Centre in Singapore.
Other global miners are also tapping into wind power to reduce their overall emissions. Brazilian miner Vale has signed up for Pan Ocean’s 325,000 dwt very large ore carrier Sea Zhoushan sporting five 25 m high Norsepower rotor sails.
In related news, Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) announced its intent to equip a second bulk carrier with the Wind Challenger hard-sail system. MOL has signed a construction contract for the new ship with Oshima Shipbuilding for delivery in 2024. MOL Drybulk will operate the vessel, which will transport wood pellets for US-based producer Enviva.
MOL said it is also examining the feasibility of adopting rotor sails developed by UK-based Anemoi Marine Technologies. The combined use of both the Wind Challenger and rotor sails is expected to reduce GHG emissions by an average of 20%.
