Norsepower is pleased to announce a new installation order from a European shipowner for two of the largest Rotor Sail units to be installed on an existing cargo vessel.
Preparations for the fitting will take place next year with the installation scheduled for Q4 2020. This announcement comes on the heels of the successful trial results of two Rotor Sails onboard the Maersk Tankers’ product tanker, Maersk Pelican
The Norsepower Rotor Sail Solution is a modernised version of the Flettner rotor – a spinning cylinder that uses the Magnus effect to harness wind power to thrust a ship. It is the first data- verified and commercially operational auxiliary wind propulsion technology for the global maritime industry. When wind conditions are favourable, it enables the electric propulsion thrusters and centre propel to be throttled back, reducing emissions – while providing the power needed to maintain speed and voyage time.
With growing international and public pressure on the maritime industry to move towards decarbonisation, the ability to harness the wind to generate thrust, reduce fuel consumption and emissions, is a natural next step for the maritime transport industry. In addition to its very real financial and environmental benefits Norsepower estimates that its technology would be able to achieve a carbon emissions reduction of around 10%-15% per ship, which would equate to a circa 5% reduction in carbon emissions for the global maritime fleet.
In addition to this announcement, Norsepower’s Rotor Sails have been installed onboard three vessels, including Bore’s M/S Estraden, a 9,700 DWT Ro-Ro carrier, Viking Line’s M/S Viking Grace, an LNG–fuelled cruise ferry, and Maersk Tanker’s 110,000 DWT Maersk Pelican. Norsepower has also recently started a delivery project of a Rotor Sail to a hybrid ferry owned by Danish shipping company Scandlines.
Further developments are expected and information regarding the European shipowner will be released in the first half of 2020.
For additional queries please contact diane@blue-comms.com.