Finnish auxiliary wind propulsion system pioneer Norsepower Oy Ltd., is to receive EUR 2.6M in funding to further R&D efforts for their Rotor Sail Solution technology.
Norsepower’s Rotor Sail Solution is a modernised version of the Flettner rotor; a spinning cylinder that uses the Magnus effect to harness wind power to generate forward thrust. The solution is fully automated and senses whenever the wind is strong enough to deliver fuel savings, at which point the rotors start automatically.
The funding was awarded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, and the Finnish Government’s funding agency for Innovation, Tekes.
A record-breaking Rotor Sail model to be 30m in height and 5m in diameter, with a maximum main-engine equivalent power output of more than four megawatts (MW) will be developed under the funding. Norsepower say that the larger rotor sail technology will be ideally suited for tankers, bulk carriers, large ro-pax, and full size passenger vessels where smaller Rotor Sails would be inefficient for achieving the most impressive fuel savings.
In addition to developing models for the world’s largest rotor sail, new models will also be designed that will be suitable for ships voyaging globally, including the Northern Hemisphere and Arctic regions that have not yet seen auxiliary wind propulsion despite having favourable wind conditions.
The Tekes part of the funding will drive the development and inclusion of multi-functional features within the system that may have otherwise not been possible, which Norsepower say will accelerate the new Rotor Sails’ time to market. Whereas the European Commission funding will support manufacturing, assembling, land testing, fine tuning, and piloting of Norsepower’s medium-size (24m in height x 4m in diameter) Rotor Sail model.
To date, independent data analysis indicates that up to 25% fuel savings per year can be achieved on routes with favourable wind flows, sufficient sized Rotor Sails, and appropriate service speed. The technology has proven commercial applicability, with two small units of Norsepower’s Rotor Sails installed on board Bore’s M/S Estraden, a 9,700DWT Ro-Ro carrier. Measured and independently verified by NAPA, the leading maritime data analysis, software and services provider, the Rotor Sail Solution delivered fuel consumption reductions of 6.1% for M/V Estraden.
Commenting on the funding, Tuomas Riski, CEO, Norsepower said: “We are extremely grateful to Tekes and to the European Commission. Their decisions are a clear vote of confidence in Norsepower’s ability to realise the commercial potential of our Rotor Sail Solution. We intend to use this recognition and the momentum we have now created to accelerate its development and create the world’s largest Rotor Sail capable of bigger emissions reductions and better fuel savings.
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