Anemoi, Hafnia, Guangzhou Shipyard and DNV to design rotor sails for MR tankers

Anemoi Marine Technologies on Thursday (15 May) announced a new partnership with Hafnia, Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI), and DNV to develop the integration design of Rotor Sails suitable for installation on 50,000 dwt Medium-Range (MR) tanker vessels.

The companies signed a Joint Development Project (JDP) in April 2025 to develop a new generation of efficient and environmentally friendly Rotor Sail vessel designs to increase the efficiency of MR tankers within the wider global fleet.

As part of the project, Anemoi and Hafnia will undertake several engineering studies to establish specifications related to how Rotor Sails can be safely and efficiently installed on the deck of MR tankers, alongside additional electrical and control system layouts for these vessels. 

In addition, the studies will include calculations to examine how Rotor Sails can improve the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) values of existing and future MR tankers.

GSI will apply its naval architecture and marine engineering principles to develop essential technical documentation for the new Rotor Sail’s design integration, while DNV will undertake an Approval in Principle (AiP) assessment to ensure that the design is feasible and verifies that no significant obstacles exist to prevent the design from being realized based on current and foreseeable regulatory and class requirements.

Nick Contopoulos, Chief Production and Partnerships Officer of Anemoi, said: “There is growing interest within the tanker sector for novel technology that can help reduce the carbon footprint of their vessels and increase their value, particularly as the MR tanker fleet is expected to grow in the coming years.”

“Our partnership with Hafnia, alongside GSI and DNV, will ensure a new generation of MR tankers that utilises Rotor Sails to improve their efficiency and sustainability credentials hits the water in the not-too-distant future.”

Mr Shao Guang Chi, Station Manager of Guangzhou Station at DNV Maritime, said: “WAPS, like Rotor Sails, are spreading throughout the industry, enabled by new materials, data and software, and evolving rules and regulations.”

“Across all segments, we still have room to improve vessel energy efficiency and WAPS have emerged as one of the most attractive tools for shipping to make immediate, impactful gains in this area.”

Photo credit: Anemoi Marine Technologies
Published: 19 May, 2025