Norsepower, SWS Wrap Up Energy-Efficient VLCC Project

Norsepower, a Finnish provider of auxiliary wind propulsion systems for ships, has completed a joint project with China’s Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) for the development of an energy-efficient dual-fuel 300,000 dwt very large crude carrier (VLCC) design.

The design has received an approval in principle (AiP) from classification societies Lloyd’s Register and ABS.

The official handover of the certificates took place within Marintec China in Shanghai on December 4, during which the designs and specifications of the vessels were unveiled.

“We are very pleased to be collaborating with SWS, Lloyd’s Register and ABS on this project. This partnership allows … organisations to explore cleaner solutions for the oil tanker market and drive shipping towards a modern era of auxiliary wind propulsion for the global maritime industry,” Jukka Kuuskoski, CSO of Norsepower, commented.

Under the project, Norsepower’s Rotor Sails were installed on the VLCC to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.

The impact of the installation of the Rotor Sail solution, including a review of structural reinforcement and visibility calculation, was reviewed using computational-fluid dynamics (CFD) during the joint development project (JDP), confirming a potential of 6-10% fuel and emissions savings, dependent on operating routes.

The Norsepower solution, which can be installed on new vessels or retrofitted on existing ships without off-hire costs is fully automated and senses whenever the wind is strong enough to deliver fuel savings, at which point the rotors start automatically.

Apart from the VLCC, Norsepower’s Rotor Sails have been installed onboard three vessels, including Bore’s M/S Estraden, a 9,700 dwt RoRo carrier, Viking Line’s M/S Viking Grace, an LNG–fueled cruise ferry, and Maersk Tankers’ 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.

As explained, the award of AiP demonstrates the potential for a cost-effective way of reducing ship emissions and allows the shipping industry to address the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.

“We have focused on developing clean and smart ships that are technically reliable and commercially feasible. We are proud to design advanced ships that will benefit ship owners and lead eco-friendly shipping,” Liu Jianfeng, Chief Technologist of SWS, said.