Norsepower has installed a rotor sail on board Scandlines hybrid ropax ‘Copenhagen’.  

’Copenhagen’ operates between Rostock, Germany and Gedser, Denmark and was retrofitted in Rostock during a scheduled overnight stop.

Norsepower’s rotor sail unit fitted measured 30 m in height and 5 m in diameter. The installation was completed in a matter of hours, following meticulous preparation over the past few months, the company said.
 
This sail system – 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 was the fourth completed by Norsepower and was claimed to reduce emissions by an estimated average of 4-5% without compromising pre-retrofit speed and voyage times.
 
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 on board its fleet. The addition of Norsepower’s Rotor Sail makes the ‘Copenhagen’ one of the world’s most energy-efficient ferries.
 
“With increasing international regulatory and public pressure on the maritime industry to de-carbonise, 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,” he said.
 
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 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,” he said.
 
The system is fully automated and detects whenever the wind is strong enough to deliver emission savings, at which point the Rotor Sails start automatically.