Norsepower gets class approval for rotor sail

The type approval, from ship classification society DNV GL, was issued in February 2019 after a design assessment of Norsepower’s 30m by 5m Rotor Sail, two of which have been installed onboard the Maersk Pelican LR2 tanker. The landmark certification means that vessels operating Norsepower’s Rotor Sail Solution are technically capable of safely navigating ‘all operational and environmental situations’.

Norsepower’s chief executive, Tuomas Riski, said that having a type approval design was very important to the company. “It provides shipowners, operators, and charterers with a level of assurance when investing in the Rotor Sail Solution, but in the long term, it removes yet another hurdle to the realisation of renewable wind energy propulsion systems at a scale that supports shipping’s transformation to a low carbon transport sector,” he said.

Norsepower’s Rotor Sail Solution has already been installed on three vessels and has achieved over 35,000 hours in operation, saving more than 4,500 tonnes of CO2 in the process. The solution has delivered independently verified fuel savings with potential of up to 20%.

Geir Dugstad, director of ship classification and technical director at DNV GL, added: “To help reduce shipping’s environmental impact we will need many different fuel and technology options, which is why we were very pleased that Norsepower asked us to be part of this innovative wind propulsion project.”

Norsepower has also announced that in February 2019 it was crowned the winner of the 2018 International Quality Innovation Award in recognition of its Rotor Sail Solution.