DNV GL Certifies Norsepower’s Auxiliary Wind Propulsion Solution

Ship classification society DNV GL has issued a type approval design certificate for Norsepower’s auxiliary wind propulsion system Rotor Sail Solution.

As noted by Norsepower, Rotor Sail Solution is the first auxiliary wind propulsion system onboard a commercial ship to receive the certificate.

The approval was issued by DNV GL in February 2019 after a design assessment of Norsepower’s 30-meter by 5-meter rotor sail, two of which have been installed onboard the Maersk Pelican LR2 tanker.

The certification means that vessels operating Norsepower’s Rotor Sail Solution are technically capable of safely navigating ‘all operational and environmental situations’.

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%, according to the company.

“Having a type approval design certificate is very important to us,” Norsepower CEO Tuomas Riski said.

“Clearly, it [the type approval design certificate] 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.”

“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,” Geir Dugstad, director of ship classification and technical director at DNV GL, added.