Large 30m tall Rotor Sail, fitted in the port of Rostock overnight, will reduce emissions by an estimated 4-5%
HELSINKI, COPENHAGEN – 26th May 11am 2020: Norsepower Oy Ltd., the leading global provider of auxiliary renewable wind propulsion systems, and Scandlines, a market leader in green ferry operation, today announced the successful installation of Norsepower’s Rotor Sail Solution. This was completed in just hours during a scheduled overnight stop on board the Scandlines’ hybrid ferry M/V Copenhagen.
The M/V Copenhagen, a hybrid passenger ferry operating between Rostock, Germany and Gedser, Denmark, was retrofitted with a Norsepower Rotor Sail unit measuring 30m in height and 5m in diameter. The installation was completed in a matter of hours, following meticulous preparation over the past few months.
The Norsepower Rotor Sail Solution – which can be installed on new vessels or retrofitted on existing ships – is a modernised version of the Flettner rotor, a spinning cylinder that uses the Magnus effect to harness wind power to thrust a ship. The installation, the fourth successfully completed by Norsepower, is estimated to reduce emissions by an estimated 4-5% on average without compromising pre-retrofit speed and voyage times.
Commenting on the installation, Tuomas Riski, CEO, Norsepower, said: “We are delighted to announce this latest successful installation of the Rotor Sail, which demonstrates that retrofitting can be achieved without any interruption and downtime to day to day commercial operations. Scandlines has a strong track record of investing in new clean technologies that save emissions onboard its fleet. The addition of Norsepower’s Rotor Sail makes the M/V Copenhagen one of the world’s most energy-efficient ferries.
“With increasing international regulatory and public pressure on the maritime industry to decarbonise, it is essential for the industry to recognise the value of one of the oldest forms of propulsion – wind. The market for wind propulsion is increasing, and this installation demonstrates how combining all methods of vessel optimisation is key to broader progress.”
Scandlines CEO, Søren Poulsgaard Jensen, added: “We see huge value in investing in technology with the ultimate goal of reducing emissions. Working with Norsepower on this innovative solution was a perfect fit with our values and ambitions regarding sustainable shipping. On our modern, hybrid ferry, this solution will sit alongside hydrodynamic hull optimisation, and a hybrid electric propulsion system with a battery powered energy storage system, improving not only our efficiency but also profitability. We look forward to seeing the instant benefits of this technology.”
The Rotor Sail is the first data verified and commercially operational auxiliary wind propulsion technology for the global maritime industry. The solution is fully automated and detects whenever the wind is strong enough to deliver emission savings, at which point the Rotor Sails start automatically.
Notes to editors
About Norsepower
Norsepower Oy Ltd is a Finnish clean technology and engineering company pioneering modern auxiliary wind propulsion for the global maritime industry. Norsepower’s Rotor Sail Solution is a proven, low-maintenance, easy to use, and reliable fuel saving technology, supporting the decarbonisation of the shipping industry.
Since its establishment in 2012, Norsepower has generated more than €20 million of funding and has now installed Rotor Sails onboard four vessels, including the latest installation on the Scandlines M/V Copenhagen. Each installation has made significant reductions to fuel costs and emissions, confirmed by independent verifiers such as ABB, NAPA and Lloyd’s Register. Other shipowners, charterers, and shipyards have been convinced of Rotor Sail technology’s benefits and are taking steps to study the technical and economic feasibility of wind propulsion on their fleet based on these positive results.
For more information on the Norsepower Rotor Sail Solution, please visit www.norsepower.com.
About Scandlines
Scandlines stands as a symbol of a historical and close cooperation between Denmark and Germany. Scandlines runs two ferry routes with high capacity and frequency as well as with a green vision for the future. The core business is to provide an efficient and reliable transport service for both passengers and freight customers. The main focus for all activities in Scandlines is to create value for our customers on board the ferries as well as in our shops. With more than 41,500 departures on 8 ferries, in 2019 Scandlines transported 7.2 million passengers, 1.7 million cars and around 700,000 freight units on the routes Puttgarden-Rødby and Rostock-Gedser.
The Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion (WASP) project, which is funded by the Interreg North Sea Europe program, part of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to the tune of €5.4 million. The project brings together universities and wind-assist technology providers with ship owners to research, trial and validate the operational performance of a selection of wind propulsion solutions thus enabling wind propulsion technology market penetration and contributing to a greener North Sea transport system through harvesting the regions abundant wind potential. This fully aligns with the wider programmes’ objective of promoting the development and adoption of products, services and processes to accelerate the greening of the North Sea Region. Scandlines is a partner in the WASP project.
Read more about Scandlines at www.scandlines.com
Media Enquiries:
Norsepower
Kerry Marshall, BLUE Communications
T: +44 (0) 7972 345 822
E: kerry.marshall@blue-comms.com
Scandlines
Anette Ustrup Svendsen
T: +45 726 867 54
E: Anette.Ustrup.Svendsen@scandlines.com