NS to digitalise Norsepower’s wind propulsion technology

Finland-based provider of auxiliary wind propulsion systems Norsepower has partnered with UK’s ship management company Newport Shipping (NS) to become wind propulsion provider within NS digital platform created for shipowners planning retrofit projects.

Under the partnership with NS, shipowners will now be able to access Norsepower’s rotor sail technology through the online platform.

As disclosed, the platform aims to ease the complexities of planning retrofit works on ship by enabling shipowners and fleet operators to obtain instant quotes, get real-time visibility of shipyard availability and receive priority access to dry dock slots.

This portal is said to be particularly beneficial for those responsible for the management of multiple vessels, giving them a level of transparency and control that more traditional methods cannot provide.

“Making the decision-making process simpler will help to accelerate greater uptake. Newport Shipping’s new portal aims to do just that through enabling owners and operators to identify where vessels can go into dock to be retrofitted as well as accessing potential costs and shipyard availability in real-time,” Tuomas Riski, CEO of Norsepower, commented.

According to NS, this digital tool also stands to support the industry with its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) mandate.

Audit trails, data points, real-time information and the transparency that are part of digitalisation process all serve to help the ship repair and conversion sector clearly communicate what it is doing and how it is doing it.

 “Retrofitting vessels with clean technologies such as wind propulsion is becoming an increasingly attractive option to decarbonise operations in light of the incoming EEXI and CII rating systems, as well as to demonstrate alignment with ESG principles,” Riski concluded.

Following the rise in interest in wind propulsion systems to achieve zero emissions, Norsepower has installed five tilting rotor sails onboard a newbuild very large ore carrier (VLOC) chartered by Vale, a Brazilian mining company.

As explained, the first installation of Norsepower’s solution on a bulk carrier demonstrates the adaptability of the technology to reduce fuel consumption, fuel costs and reduce emissions across a variety of vessel types.

The Norsepower rotor sail is the first third-party verified and commercially operational auxiliary wind propulsion technology for the global maritime industry.