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Wind Propulsion: DNV GL issues Norsepower first-ever design type approval for onboard wind propulsion system

c: Norsepower

Norsepower Oy Ltd., the leading clean technology and engineering company pioneering modern auxiliary wind propulsion for the global maritime industry, today announced that its innovative Rotor Sail Solution has received the first-ever type approval design certificate granted to an auxiliary wind propulsion system onboard a commercial ship.

The type approval from leading ship classification society DNV GL was issued in February 2019 after a design assessment of Norsepower’s 30-metres by 5-metre Rotor Sail, two of which have been installed onboard the Maersk Pelican LR2 tanker. The landmark certification means that vessels operating Norsepower’s Rotor Sail Solution are technically capable of safely navigating ‘all operational and environmental situations’.

Norsepower’s Rotor Sail Solution is a proven, low-maintenance, easy to use, and reliable fuelsaving technology, supporting the decarbonisation of the shipping industry. It has already been installed on three vessels and has achieved over 35,000 hours in operation, saving more than 4,500 tonnes of CO2 in the process. The solution has delivered independently verified fuel savings with potential of up to 20%.

Commenting on the type approval, Norsepower CEO Tuomas Riski said: “We are very proud to be the first company to have type approval granted to an auxiliary wind propulsion system onboard a commercial ship. Having a type approval design certificate is very important to us. Clearly, it provides shipowners, operators, and charterers with a level of assurance when investing in the Rotor Sail Solution, but in the long term, it removes yet another hurdle to the realisation of renewable wind energy propulsion systems at a scale that supports shipping’s transformation to a low carbon transport sector.”

The system has already been installed on three vessels and has achieved over 35,000 hours in operation and has delivered independently verified fuel savings with potential of up to 20 percent. Last year, Viking Line installed an 80-foot Norsepower system on the cruise ferry Viking Grace

The history of the Flettner rotor dates back to 1924, when engineer Anton Flettner installed two of his newly invented rotors on the converted schooner Buckau

Flettner rotors depend upon an aerodynamic phenomenon known as the Magnus effect. When wind contacts a rotating cylinder, it flows at different relative speeds as it passes on each side. That speed difference translates into a pressure difference, creating force at a right angle to the wind direction - an effect similar to that of a traditional cloth sail. Unlike a sail, though, the Flettner rotor needs no furling, reefing or line-tending. The Buckau's performance also suggested that rotor-driven ships could sail closer to the wind than traditional sailing vessels.  

The Norsepower rotor sail is an update on the original Flettner design, with several notable improvements. It is built of lightweight composite materials, and it is fully automated: its control equipment senses whenever the wind is strong enough to deliver fuel savings, at which point the rotor starts on its own (with full control available to the crew). It is suitable for vessels with high utilization, open deck space, and trading routes in areas with favorable wind conditions. 

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