The "Junbai 56" oil tanker, built by Zhejiang Tenglong Shipyard Company in Taizhou, waits for delivery. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

The "Junbai 56" oil tanker, built by Zhejiang Tenglong Shipyard Company, docked at Songmen Port in Wenling, Taizhou, Zhejiang province, on April 28, waiting for delivery.

This oil tanker is the first domestically built ship featuring a rotor sail propulsion system. The system employs a motor to rotate the rotor, generating thrust perpendicular to the airflow to boost the navigation, which is expected to reduce fuel consumption by around 10 percent.

The rotor sail system is lighter and more flexible than other wind-driven devices, suitable for a variety of different vessels, including oil tankers, passenger ships, and bulk carriers.

Depending on the size and quantity of rotor sails, average fuel savings range from five percent to 25 percent. The system is also equipped with emergency sensors for automatic shutdown during extreme weather conditions.

"Since it was the first time new energy modules had ever been loaded, there was no precedent and we encountered many difficulties during construction," noted Li Mingxiang, the company's chief engineer. "Thanks to the Taizhou office of the Zhejiang branch of the China Classification Society, we managed to get it done."

Wang Jianxing, a ship surveyor at the Taizhou office, said, "We adhered to the shipyard's production schedule, ensured high quality, and realized the first application of the rotor sail, promoting the use of green energy in Taizhou's shipyards.