Anemoi Marine Technologies has completed the installation of five Rotor Sails on the 400,000 dwt Very Large Ore Carrier (VLOC) Sohar Max, marking the largest vessel to date to adopt wind propulsion technology. The Sohar Max is a first-generation Valemax, built in 2012 at China’s Rongsheng shipyard.

The retrofit was a result of collaboration between Brazilian mining company Vale, Omani shipowner Asyad, and UK-based Rotor Sail provider Anemoi. The five Rotor Sails, each measuring 35 metres in height and 5 metres in diameter, were installed at COSCO Zhoushan shipyard in China in October 2024. Anemoi also equipped the vessel with its folding deployment system, enabling the sails to tilt to mitigate any impact on cargo operations.

The installation is expected to deliver a reduction in fuel consumption of up to 6%, equating to an annual decrease of approximately 3,000 tonnes of carbon emissions. Following the retrofit, Sohar Max recently completed a voyage to Tubarao, where initial testing of the Rotor Sails began. Performance monitoring will continue during future operations.