Rotor Sail installed on board Copenhagen

Finland’s wind propulsion specialist Norsepower Oy Ltd has notched up the fourth successful installation of its Rotor Sail, this time on board Scandlines’ hybrid passenger ferry, Copenhagen, which operates on the route between Rostock, Germany and Gedser in Denmark. Following careful project planning, the 30m-high rotor sail, with a diameter of five metres, was installed in just a few hours.

Norsepower’s Rotor Sail is suitable both for new ships and for retrofit installations on existing vessels. It is a spinning cylinder, a type of Flettner rotor, that uses the Magnus effect to harness wind power and generate additional thrust. This saves fuel and cuts emissions by an estimated average of about 4-5%, Norsepower said.

“With increasing international regulatory and public pressure on the maritime industry to decarbonise, it is essential for the industry to recognise the value of one of the oldest forms of propulsion – wind,” declared Norsepower CEO, Tuomas Riski. “The market for wind propulsion is increasing, and this installation demonstrates how combining all methods of vessel optimisation is key to broader progress.” He pointed out that this latest project clearly demonstrates that Rotor Sails can be retrofitted to existing vessels without interruption to day-to-day commercial operations. “The addition of Norsepower’s Rotor Sail makes the Copenhagen one of the world’s most energy-efficient ferries,” he said.