Newbuild VLGC will be fitted with Norsepower rotor sails

The two Norsepower rotor sails will be installed side by side on the IINO Lines gas carrier.

With CII ratings becoming a growing concern more shipowners are looking to rotor sails as a means of cutting fuel consumption and thus emissions. Among the latest to opt for the solution is Tokyo-headquartered IINO Lines. It has placed an order with Finland’s Norsepower Ltd. for the delivery and installation of two Norsepower rotor sails on a newbuild very large gas carrier (VLGC).

Just delivered by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. in Korea, the LPG dual-fueled ship already has the rotor sail foundations fitted, ready to be equipped with two 20 meters tall, 4 meters diameter Norsepower rotor sails, side by side. The new, specially designed, units have been developed to accommodate the vessel’s specific air draft limits. They will be installed on board the vessel in second quarter 2024.

The Norsepower rotor sail is an innovative, modernized version of the Flettner rotor. A small amount of electricity is used to spin the cylinder on the deck. The spinning cylinder and the wind create the Magnus effect to generate thrust supporting the main propulsion, which reduces fuel consumption, emissions, and fuel costs.

Following calculations, Norsepower estimates the rotor sails will reduce the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions from the vessel by approximately 4%. The performance of the Norsepower rotor sails is estimated by methodology verified by ClassNK. The saving will help the vessel meet international emissions reduction targets, including the CII regulations and save on rising fuel costs. It also can be future proofing from anticipated carbon pricing.
 
Hiromi Tosha, President of IINO Lines, commented: “IINO Lines is committed to taking an innovative approach to meeting and exceeding local and international decarbonization targets. Investing in sustainable vessels is central to our approach and working with Norsepower will enable us to use innovative, and proven technologies which fit in seamlessly with our operations. We appreciate all the concerned parties who made efforts to realize this innovative project. We look forward to the installation of the rotor sails to make the vessel greener than ever.”

“With more stringent environmental regulation being enforced, interest in the Norsepower Rotor Sail™ is increasing significantly and our latest agreement shows how action is being taken today across multiple stakeholders including charterers,” said Tuomas Riski, CEO of Norsepower. “This is being underpinned by the real-life performance data from the 15 Norsepower Rotor Sails that are in action today. The data taken from eight years of operations demonstrates the reduction of fuel costs and emissions that are achieved, which in some cases is over 25%. It is also Norsepower’s third gas carrier installation contract. We are pleased to be helping IINO Lines, among many others, improve their environmental and commercial performance in the run up to 2030 emissions reduction targets as well as being part of the solution to help shipping reach its stretch goal of carbon neutrality.”