Borealis-chartered dual-fuel gas carrier outfitted with Norsepower rotor sails for 4% emission reduction

Wind propulsion specialist Norsepower has completed the installation of two rotor sails on Oceanus Aurora, a dual-fuel very large gas carrier (VLGC) owned by Japanese shipping company IINO Kaiun Kaisha (IINO Lines) and chartered by Austrian chemical company Borealis.

Under the contract from March 2023, Oceanus Aurora, which was delivered from Hanwha Ocean’s shipyard with Norsepower Rotor Sail (NPRS) foundations already in place, was outfitted with two custom-designed NPRS in Rotterdam at the beginning of November 2024.

The two units, measuring 20 meters in height and 4 meters in diameter, have been tailored to meet the vessel’s precise air draught limits, Norsepower said.

As explained, the Norsepower Rotor Sail is a modernized version of the Flettner rotor that utilizes a small amount of electricity to spin cylindrical sails on the deck, harnessing wind and the Magnus effect to generate powerful thrust, thus resulting in reduced fuel consumption, emissions, and fuel costs.

The 2023-built Oceanus Aurora sails between Houston, USA, and Stenungsund, Sweden, or Porvoo, Finland. Norsepower calculated that the NPRS would reduce the vessel’s fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by approximately 4%, aligning with international emissions reduction targets, including the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), and mitigating rising fuel costs.

Thomas Van De Velde, Borealis Senior Vice President of Base Chemicals and Energy, said: “Minimizing the environmental footprint of our transportation activities is vital to our Energy & Climate strategy. 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.”

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.”

In September this year, Norsepower received a type approval design certificate (TADC) from classification society DNV for its explosion-proof (EX) version of the 28m x 4m Norsepower Rotor Sail, confirming that the technology meets the stringent safety and performance standards required for installation in hazardous zones on tankers and other vessels carrying explosive liquids or gases.