Stena Line to add Norsepower rotor sails to new NewMax duo

Image: Stena Line

Making a pair of green newbuilds even greener, Sweden’s Stena Line is to add Norsepower rotor sails to the two methanol-hybrid NewMax RO/ROs it is building for its Belfast-Heysham Irish Sea freight route (see earlier story).

Adding 80% capacity on the route in response to increasing customer demand, each of the two new 147-meter vessels has been designed to maximize freight volumes and will provide 2,800 lane meters of capacity. They will each be equipped to carry 12 passengers and 26 crew.

Now, under a new agreement with Norsepower, the first of the two, Stena Connecta, will be fitted with two 28 x 4 meter rotor sails. The vessel is being built by Jinling Weihai Shipyard in China and is scheduled for delivery to Stena Line from Stena RoRo in fourth quarter 2025.

The sister vessel in the same series, Stena Futura, is being delivered “rotor sail ready,” further demonstrating Stena Line’s commitment to wind propulsion.

Stena Line says that the Belfast-Heysham route is very favorable to wind assisted propulsion (WAPS) and that the decision to add the rotor sails is a step in its goal to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 30% by 2030.

Stena Line says its collaboration with Norsepower “highlights the convergence of two industry leaders, both committed to innovation and sustainability.”.

“We are honored to work with Stena Line, a company that has consistently led the way in sustainable shipping innovation,” said Heikki Pöntynen, CEO of Norsepower. “This partnership underscores the reliability and quality of Norsepower’s products, as well as its alignment with Stena Line’s forward-thinking goals to cut CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030.”

To minimize environmental impact during the project’s execution phase, the rotor sails will be manufactured at Norsepower’s new production facility in Yancheng, China, and delivered directly to the shipyard.