Oldendorff opts for Norsepower for Teck rotor sail retrofit

Teck rotor sail retrofit will see three Norsepower rotor sails fitted to bulker that carries shipments of Teck steelmaking coal from the Port of Vancouver. [Image; Norsepower]

Helsinki, Finland, headquartered Norsepower is hailing the decision by Oldendorff Carriers to fit a bulker chartered by Canadian mining giant Teck Resources with three Norsepower rotor sails. As we reported in December, the Teck rotor sail retrofit comes as the result of a decision by Teck and Oldendorff to make a joint investment in wind propulsion to further reduce CO2 emissions in Teck’s supply chain. The investment will see the vessel Dietrich Oldendorf, which carries shipments of Teck steelmaking coal from the Port of Vancouver, outfitted with a rotor sail system by mid-2024.

“Oldendorff is a dream customer for Norsepower in more than one way: a family-owned, legendary, company with over 100 years operating in the industry and around 700 vessels on the water today,” said Tuomas Riski, CEO of Norsepower. “Oldendorff is making green shipping a reality today and is the best partner we could have on our journey towards the zero-carbon industry. I wholeheartedly welcome Oldendorff’s commitment to Norsepower’s mission of decarbonizing shipping and look forward to the next possibilities for cooperation!”

Norsepower says that the rotor sails to be fitted on the bulker will be 24 meter tall by 4 meter diameter units. The Norsepower rotor sail is a radically modernized, digital-era version of the Flettner rotor — and look somewhat different than those on the original Flettner rotor ship. The Norsepower sail uses a minimal amount of the ship’s electric power to actively rotate the cylinder-shaped rotors on the ship’s deck. Rotation, together with wind, packs the air behind the sail and creates thrust – saving fuel and reducing emissions. The huge, spinning rotors are partly manufactured from approximately 342,000 plastic bottles.

“We are extremely excited about reducing fuel consumption and emissions by harnessing the power of the wind with Norsepower Rotor Sails™, a proven energy-saving product,” said Torsten Barenthin, director of research & development at Oldendorff.