Mining giant BHP has become the latest major charterer to explore wind propulsion to cut emissions from shipping in partnership with Pan Pacific Copper (PPC) and Norsepower.

BHP and PPC, a member of JX Nippon Mining & Metals group, will retrofit a Norsepower rotor sail wind-assisted propulsion system on the 53,762-dwt combination bulk carrier Koryu (built 2013) operated by Nippon Marine.

The sail, a modern version of a Flettner rotor, will replace a crane on the geared vessel to reduce greenhouse gas emissions between BHP’s mines in Chile and PPC’s smelters in Japan.

It is scheduled to be installed by the third quarter of 2023

BHP and PPC have multi-year agreements for the delivery of copper concentrates from Chile to Japan as well as sulphuric acid from Japan to Chile.

Norsepower said its auxillary wind propulsion systems are estimated to be around ten times more efficient than conventional sail.

Nippon Marine is a member of Senko group which is 60% owned by Senko and 40% by JX Nippon Mining & Metals.

BHP chief commercial officer, Vandita Pant said: “Identifying and implementing innovative and sustainable solutions through our strong commodity and supply chain partnerships remain essential in supporting BHP’s decarbonisation ambitions.”

Flettner rotor sails are based on the Magnus effect that harnesses wind to spin. When wind conditions are favorable, they allow the main engines to be throttled back, saving fuel and reducing emissions.

JX Nippon Mining & Metals' deputy chief executive and PPC president, Kazuhiro Hori said: “PPC and BHP has been sharing the mission to accelerate activities for decarbonisation in line with our respective climate targets and goals.”

JX Nippon Mining & Metals has declared a target of net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050 and is accelerating action to reduce Scope 3 third party emissions from raw material production and logistics throughout its supply chain.

BHP’s efforts to decarbonise its shipping include a biofuel trial with an ocean-going vessel bunkered in Singapore, taking delivery of five LNG-fuelled Newcastlemax bulk carriers and joining a consortium to assess development of an iron ore green corridor between Australia and East Asia.

Last year Mitsui OSK Lines teamed up with rival mining giant Vale to study the potential for rotor sails on large bulk carriers using a rotor sail design developed by Anemoi Marine Technologies on a 200,000-dwt vessel.

Vale has previously fitted five Norsepower rotor sails to one of its latest VLOC newbuildings, the Pan Ocean-owned, 325,000-dwt guaibamax vessel Sea Zhoushan.