Norsepower, a market leader in mechanical sails for large ships, has successfully installed two Norsepower Rotor Sails on Oceanus Aurora, a Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) operated by IINO Kaiun Kaisha, Ltd and chartered by Borealis, provider of advanced and sustainable polyolefins solutions.
This project marks Norsepower’s third contract for a gas carrier. The sails are expected to reduce the vessel’s fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions by approximately four per cent, supporting the IMO’s emissions reduction targets and contributing to the maritime sector’s transition towards sustainability.
Founded in 2012, Norsepower aims to support the decarbonisation of the shipping industry with wind propulsion technology.
The VLGC Oceanus Aurora has been outfitted with two custom designed NPRS. These units, which are 20m tall and 4m in diameter, have been tailored to meet the vessel’s precise air draught limits.
The Norsepower Rotor Sail is a modernized version of the Flettner rotor. Utilising a small amount of electricity to spin cylindrical sails on the deck, the NPRS harnesses wind and the Magnus effect to generate powerful thrust. This innovative product bolsters the main propulsion, resulting in reduced fuel consumption, emissions, and fuel costs.
Oceanus Aurora sails between Houston, USA and Stenungsund, Sweden or Porvoo, Finland. Norsepower calculates that the NPRS will reduce the vessel’s fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions by approximately four per cent, aligning with international emissions reduction targets, including the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), and mitigating rising fuel costs.
“Minimizing the environmental footprint of our transportation activities is vital to our Energy & Climate strategy” said Thomas Van De Velde, Borealis Senior Vice President Base Chemicals and Energy. “The innovative Norsepower Rotor Sails on the Oceanus Aurora vessel will help us achieve our ambitious emission reduction targets and thus support the transformation towards more environmentally sustainable transportation.”
Seiichi Fujimura, Director, Executive Officer of IINO Lines, remarked: “Investing in sustainable vessels is paramount to our commitment to environmental stewardship. Partnering with Norsepower and Borealis allows us to integrate promising technologies into our operations, bolstering our efforts towards decarbonization.”
Heikki Pöntynen, CEO of Norsepower, emphasized: “Our most recent installations underscore the shipping industry’s proactive approach to sustainability. The solid real-life performance data from our 27 NPRS units in operation demonstrates tangible reductions in both fuel costs and emissions. With this third delivery and installation contract for a gas carrier, we are honoured to support IINO Lines and Borealis in their pursuit of environmental and commercial excellence.”
Oceanus Aurora, a dual fuel LPG ship, was delivered in March 2023 from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd in Korea (today, Hanwha Ocean Co, Ltd), with the foundations for the Norsepower Rotor Sails already in place. The installation of the units took place in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, at the beginning of November 2024.
