Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) received design approval from the Korean Register of Shipping (KR) for its ‘Hi-Rotor’, a model of a rotor sail.
The approval is the first of its kind in South Korean shipbuilding industry, as the sector focuses on the development of green technological solutions for shipping decarbonization.
By leveraging wind energy using the Magnus effect, vessels equipped with the cylindrical structure on board can save between 6 and 8 percent in fuel consumption.
The design approval comes after an approval in principle HHI got in December 2020.
HHI’s Hi-Rotor uses a reduction gear method in relation to the driving part connecting the electric motor and the rotor, increasing the stability of the drive system compared to the belt method of existing commercial products.
HHI now plans to start the demonstration process of the system on land in the second half of 2022. The shipbuilder said it would move to seek product orders based on the design approval.
Before developing its own in-house design, Hyundai has been working with Norsepower on different vessel designs featuring rotor sail technology.
