Large 30m tall Rotor Sail, fitted in the port of Rostock overnight, will reduce emissions by an estimated 4-5 percent.

Scandlines, a market leader in green ferry operation, and Norsepower Oy Ltd., the leading global provider of auxiliary renewable wind propulsion systems, today announced the successful installation of Norsepower’s Rotor Sail Solution. This was completed in just hours during a scheduled overnight stop on board the Scandlines’ hybrid ferry M/V Copenhagen.

The M/V Copenhagen, a hybrid passenger ferry operating between Rostock, Germany and
Gedser, Denmark, was retrofitted with a Norsepower Rotor Sail unit measuring 30m in height and 5m in diameter. The installation was completed in a matter of hours, following meticulous preparation over the past few months.

The Norsepower Rotor Sail Solution – which can be installed on new vessels or retrofitted on existing ships – is a modernised version of the Flettner rotor, a spinning cylinder that uses the Magnus effect to harness wind power to thrust a ship. The installation, the fourth successfully completed by Norsepower, is estimated to reduce emissions and save fuel by an estimated 4-5 percent on average without compromising pre-retrofit speed and voyage times.

Commenting on the installation, Tuomas Riski, CEO, Norsepower, said: “We are delighted to announce this latest successful installation of the Rotor Sail, which demonstrates that retrofitting can be achieved without any interruption and downtime to day to day commercial operations.

Scandlines has a strong track record of investing in new clean technologies that save emissions onboard its fleet. The addition of Norsepower’s Rotor Sail makes the M/V Copenhagen one of the world’s most energy-efficient ferries.

“With increasing international regulatory and public pressure on the maritime industry to
decarbonise, it is essential for the industry to recognise the value of one of the oldest forms of propulsion – wind. The market for wind propulsion is increasing, and this installation demonstrates how combining all methods of vessel optimisation is key to broader progress.”

Scandlines CEO, Søren Poulsgaard Jensen, added: “We see huge value in investing in technology with the ultimate goal of reducing emissions. Working with Norsepower on this innovative solution fitted was a perfect fit with our values and ambitions regarding sustainable shipping. On our modern, hybrid ferry, this solution will sit alongside hydrodynamic hull optimisation, and a hybrid electric propulsion system with a battery powered energy storage system, improving not only our efficiency but also profitability. We look forward to seeing the instant benefits of this technology.”

The Rotor Sail is the first data verified and commercially operational auxiliary wind propulsion technology for the global maritime industry. The solution is fully automated and detects whenever the wind is strong enough to deliver emission savings, at which point the Rotor Sails start automatically.