Reduce carbon emissions | Vale receives the world's first ore ship using air lubrication technology

Air lubrication technology is one of the solutions tested by Vale to achieve its climate goals.

Air lubrication technology helps Vale to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions during shipping by artificially generating bubbles under the hull. The technology has been used on the 325000 dwt Victoria Ocean (Sea Victoria), a Guaibamax ship. The 10 compressors installed on the deck inject air into the 20 devices at the bottom of the hull, which form a layer of air bubbles at the bottom of the ship, which can reduce friction between the hull and water, thereby reducing fuel consumption, thereby reducing carbon emissions. The Victoria Ocean, which is now on its way to Brazil, is the world's first ore ship to use air-lubricated technology.

The Vale shipping team revealed that if the test is successful, the air lubrication technology is likely to be extended to other ships in the charter fleet responsible for transporting Vale ore. According to conservative estimates, the technology will reduce fuel consumption by 5 to 8 per cent and is expected to reduce emissions from Vale's maritime transport of iron ore by 4.4 per cent a year. " Said Rodrigo Bemelio (Rodrigo Bermelho), technical manager of Vale Shipping.

Air lubrication technology is provided by British manufacturer Silverstream. Vale is working with (ITV) of the Vale Institute of Technology and Pan Ocean, the Korean shipowner, to apply this technology to a very large ore carrier, the (VLOC), which specializes in transporting Vale iron ore. The Guaibamax ship is designed by Shanghai Shipbuilding Research and Design Institute, which is also responsible for the integration of air lubrication technology. The first Guaibamax ship with air lubrication technology was built by Chinese company Jiangsu New Times Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., and the suitability of the technology has been taken into account in the construction process. The installation of the air lubrication device was completed by Youlian Shipyard (Shekou) Co., Ltd., located in Shenzhen, China. the whole installation process took 35 days and was completed on June 28.

The use of air lubrication technology is part of Vale's Eco-Shipping Plan, which aims to help companies meet the challenge of reducing carbon emissions, in line with the direction of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) (IMO). Last year, Vale announced that it was committed to achieving carbon neutralization of direct ("scope one") and indirect ("scope two") emissions by 2050 and reducing "range three" emissions by 15% by 2035. Given that Vale does not own ships, emissions from shipping fall into the category of "scope III" emissions. These emission reduction targets are in line with the ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement.

Rotor sail

Vale recently announced that it has launched the world's first ore ship with rotor sails. The ship, also built in China, is scheduled to arrive in Brazil at the end of this month. Similar to the air lubrication technology, the rotor sail technology is also used in a Guaibamax ship. The ship is equipped with five rotor sails, which will increase energy efficiency by as much as 8 per cent, thereby reducing emissions by up to 3400 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year. If the trial operation proves effective, the technology is expected to be used for at least 40 per cent of the ships in the fleet, which will reduce emissions from Vale's sea transport of iron ore by nearly 1.5 per cent a year.

The rotor sails are cylindrical, each with a diameter of 4 meters and a height of 24 meters, which is equivalent to a seven-story building. During the operation, due to the Magnus effect, the rotor sail will rotate at different speeds according to the ship's environment and operating conditions, resulting in a pressure difference that pushes the ship forward.

In June, Vale also signed a memorandum of understanding with 23 companies to start research on ammonia as an alternative to marine fuel. In addition, Vale has been preparing for the introduction of marine fuel alternatives. Dozens of second-generation Valemax already in operation are designed with space to install LNG systems in the future, including a subdeck compartment for LNG tanks that can be used throughout the voyage. The Eco-Shipping Project is developing a multi-fuel tank that can store and consume not only liquefied natural gas but also methanol and ammonia in the future.

Mr Bemelio said the use of energy efficiency technologies such as rotor sails and air lubrication systems would reduce the demand for marine fuel per unit of ships and promote the use of low-carbon fuels. A preliminary study of Guaibamax ships predicts that emissions will be reduced by as much as 23 per cent if they switch to liquefied natural gas and as much as 40 to 80 per cent if they switch to methanol and ammonia.

Vale has invested heavily in adopting new technologies and updating its fleet to integrate the most advanced technologies in energy efficiency and environmental innovation into shipping. From 2018, Vale will put 400000 tons of second-generation Valemax into operation, and from 2019, Vale will put another 325000 tons of Guaibamax into operation. These ships are among the most energy efficient in the world, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by up to 41 per cent compared with the 180000-tonne capesize ships built in 2011.