Chinese yard debuts easy to install sail kit
Shipowners contemplating wind-assisted technology to cut their fuel bills have an ever growing selection of options to choose from.
The latest to throw their hat into the mix is China’s Jiangnan Shipyard whose Jiangnan Smart Sail is based on sha-ch’uans or sand boats, Chinese junks that used to be a common sight around Chongming island to the north of Shanghai where the yard is based.
The Jiangnan Smart Sail can deliver fuel savings of up to 4%, according to the yard. The lightweight sails, made of polymer composite materials, can be quickly retracted with a big selling point being their ease of installation.
Kites, rotors, hard sails – shipowners seeking wind-assist technology have never had so many options as today. Investigations are now underway to study how different wind propulsion systems installed on a single ship could derive significant energy savings.
Earlier this year, New York-listed wood chip producer Enviva signed up for a sail-assisted bulk carrier to be ordered by Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), which will feature both MOL’s own hard sail Wind Challenger as well as rotor sails created by Anemoi Marine Technologies.