MOL to install Norsepower Rotor Sails on bulk carrier

The ship is currently employed under a mid–term contract for transporting iron ore for Vale and the retrofit would see two 35m x 5m rotor sails produced by Norsepower installed in the first half of 2024.

Norsepower’s Rotor Sail is made of lightweight, strong composite material and with a fully automated control system, produces thrust as the wind generates differential pressure around the slewing rotor while the vessel is sailing.

The manufacturer believes the system is capable of reducing fuel and greenhouse gas emissions by between 6-10% combined with voyage optimisation technology – enabling significant advancements towards decarbonisation goals and reducing fuel consumption. The Norsepower sail is a modernised version of the Flettner rotor, a spinning cylinder that uses the Magnus effect to harness wind power to thrust a ship.

Norsepower rotor sails will also be installed aboard 50,000-dwt MR tanker Alcyone. The 2022-built ship will be retrofitted with two 35 m x 5 m sails either Q4 this year or Q1 2024. 

The Finnish rotor sail manufacturer has received US$10.8M in funding from an arm of the Finnish government to help scale production.