On September 8, Wuchang Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), successfully completed the installation of the first rotary sail on the “Spirit of Toulouse”, the first vessel in a series of wind-assisted RORO carriers being built for the French shipowner LD ARMATEURS (LDA). This marks the official start of the installation of the vessel’s wind propulsion system.
The vessel is equipped with six Norsepower rotor sails—each standing 35 meters tall with a diameter of 5 meters—and utilizes a propulsion system combining these sails with two dual-fuel engines capable of running on green methanol or marine diesel; it currently holds the record for the highest number of rotor sails installed on a Ro-Ro vessel of this type.
Once operational, the rotor sails will work in tandem with the methanol propulsion system, harnessing wind energy to provide additional thrust and further reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions. The system enables zero sulfur emissions and a reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions of over 80%, while the use of green methanol fuel allows for near-zero-carbon voyages.
On September 9, the first wind-assisted Ro-Ro carrier successfully passed the safety review for its methanol bunkering process in Shanghai. This milestone confirms that the vessel’s methanol fuel system meets the safety requirements for bunkering operations, laying a solid safety foundation for subsequent mooring trials, sea trials, and on-schedule delivery.
Wuchang Shipbuilding stated that it will focus on the delivery target for the first vessel, steadily advancing subsequent tasks—including the installation of the remaining sails, integrated system commissioning, mooring trials, and sea trials—to ensure the vessel is delivered to the owner on schedule and up to quality standards. Through these concrete actions, the company aims to drive the industrial application of green shipbuilding technologies and support the global shipping industry’s low-carbon transition.