Vale's project to create the world's first large ore carrier equipped with rotor sails won the Wind Propulsion Innovation Awards, presented by the International Windship Association in Glasgow, Scotland, at a side event during the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. The organization, which encourages the global use of wind propulsion in commercial shipping, awarded Vale the prize in the category for companies that encourage the adoption of this type of technology through prototypes or commercial use - since May, the company's fleet of ships has a Guaibamax equipped with the rotor sails.In total, 84 nominations were submitted to a panel made up of members of the industry, academia, supporters of wind propulsion technology and people linked to energy and sustainability areas. Vale was the winner in one of the four categories opened to the public vote. According to the organizers, pioneering projects, innovative technologies, people and companies that are making a difference in advancing wind propulsion as an efficient, low-carbon and sustainable option for the commercial shipping fleet were recognized.The rotating sails are cylindrical rotors, four meters in diameter and 24 meters high - equivalent to a seven-story building. During operation, the five rotors rotate at different speeds, depending on the environmental and operational conditions of the ship, to create a difference in pressure in order to move the ship forward, based on a phenomenon known as the Magnus effect. Still in the testing phase, rotor sails can offer an efficiency gain of up to 8% and a consequent reduction of up to 3,400 tons of CO2 equivalent per ship per year. If the pilot proves to be efficient, it is estimated that at least 40% of the fleet will be able to use the technology, which would impact on almost 1.5% annual emissions reduction by Vale's iron ore shipping
Vale's project to create the world's first large ore carrier equipped with rotor sails won the Wind Propulsion Innovation Awards, presented by the International Windship Association in Glasgow, Scotland, at a side event during the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. The organization, which encourages the global use of wind propulsion in commercial shipping, awarded Vale the prize in the category for companies that encourage the adoption of this type of technology through prototypes or commercial use - since May, the company's fleet of ships has a Guaibamax equipped with the rotor sails.In total, 84 nominations were submitted to a panel made up of members of the industry, academia, supporters of wind propulsion technology and people linked to energy and sustainability areas. Vale was the winner in one of the four categories opened to the public vote. According to the organizers, pioneering projects, innovative technologies, people and companies that are making a difference in advancing wind propulsion as an efficient, low-carbon and sustainable option for the commercial shipping fleet were recognized.The rotating sails are cylindrical rotors, four meters in diameter and 24 meters high - equivalent to a seven-story building. During operation, the five rotors rotate at different speeds, depending on the environmental and operational conditions of the ship, to create a difference in pressure in order to move the ship forward, based on a phenomenon known as the Magnus effect. Still in the testing phase, rotor sails can offer an efficiency gain of up to 8% and a consequent reduction of up to 3,400 tons of CO2 equivalent per ship per year. If the pilot proves to be efficient, it is estimated that at least 40% of the fleet will be able to use the technology, which would impact on almost 1.5% annual emissions reduction by Vale's iron ore shipping
