Scandlines fits second ferry with rotor sail

Scandlines rotor sail equipped ferry M/V Copenhagen seen in the Port of Rostock as crane installs rotor sail on sister ship M/V Berlin

Norsepower has completed its second rotor sail installation for Scandlines, adding a 30 meter high rotor sail to the hybrid ferry, M/V Berlin in an operation that was completed within a few hours.

The retrofit followed the 2020 installation of a Norsepower rotor sail on the hybrid ferry M/V Copenhagen, which operates on the Rostock-Gedser route between Germany and Denmark.

After just a year in operation, the M/V Copenhagen rotor sail delivered reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of 4% on average and 20% under optimal conditions. Based on these results, Scandlines proceeded with the installation of the rotor sail on M/V Berlin in the port of Rostock on May 16, 2022.

“After positive experiences with the rotor sail on the Scandlines hybrid ferry Copenhagen, Scandlines prepared the sister ferry Berlin for a rotor sail as well,” said Michael Guldmann Petersen, COO, Scandlines. “We are happy to see, that the installation was successfully completed and that the ferry went into operation again this morning as planned.”

“Scandlines is taking the international GHG emissions reductions targets extremely seriously and is demonstrating a leading approach to investing in innovation to exceed them,” said Tuomas Riski, CEO, Norsepower. “Expanding its use of our rotor sail technology on its second vessel highlights the viability of wind power, and the significance of the emissions savings which can be achieved.”

Norsepower’s rotor sail solution is fully automated: the system measures the wind speed and direction, based on which it calculates whether using the rotor sail will reduce emissions or not. If the conditions are favorable, the rotor sail starts automatically.