Anemoi Rotor Sails installed on U-Ming’s Grand Pioneer VLOC

U-Ming Marine's Grand Pioneer, a 325,000 DWT Very Large Ore Carrier (VLOC) was fitted with four 35x5m folding (tilting) Anemoi Rotor Sails – fully assembled and dynamically balanced at Anemoi's production base on the Yangtze River, then transported by barge to COSCO Zhoushan Shipyard. It took only 1.5 days to lift and fix the Rotor Sails in position onboard, with a further 5 days for commissioning and testing all sails and folding systems once the shipyard had completed their works during the vessel’s scheduled dry-dock in September 2025. The Grand Pioneer is projected to achieve annual fuel and emissions reductions of approximately 10–12% on average. U-Ming is the first Taiwanese shipowner to adopt Rotor Sails, marking a major milestone in the company’s decarbonisation strategy and underlining its role as a first mover in deploying innovative clean technologies. Industry collaboration is the key to driving meaningful change and this project demonstrates how innovative partnerships and proven technologies like Rotor Sails can accelerate the sector’s transition towards a net-zero future.