Norsepower Starts Auxiliary Wind Propulsion System Sea Trials

Norsepower Oy Ltd., a Finnish marine engineering company, has started sea trials of the Norsepower Rotor Sail Solution on a commercial cargo vessel, Bore’s M/V Estraden.

Norsepower’s 18-metre high Rotor Sail was installed on the pilot vessel during an ordinary 7-hour harbor stay. The required foundations were already added to the vessel during a normal dry-dock stay last year.

Tuomas Riski, CEO and partner of Norsepower Oy Ltd., said: “The Norsepower Rotor Sail Solution, which is appropriate for retrofitting to over 20 000 vessels in the global merchant fleet, can be installed on any vessel without any off-hire costs. In favorable wind conditions our solution is able to produce up to 20% savings in fuel costs with a payback period of less than four years. The target of the pilot project, which has now started, is to prove the savings potential and usability aspects of our technology.”

The Norsepower Rotor Sail Solution is a modernized version of the Flettner rotor. When the wind conditions are favorable, Norsepower Rotor Sails allow the main engines to be throttled back, saving fuel and reducing emissions while providing the power needed to maintain speed and voyage time, according to Noresepower. Rotor sails can be used with new vessels or they can be retrofitted to existing ships.

Press Release