The shipping industry continues its march towards sustainability with a landmark deal between Norsepower, a provider of mechanical sails for large vessels, and Union Maritime Limited (UML).
The agreement will see Norsepower Rotor Sails (NPRS) installed on a fleet of new product tankers built for UML.
The contract covers four newbuilds constructed in China, with each vessel receiving two NPRS units featuring Norsepower’s proprietary explosion-protection design for enhanced safety compliance with product tanker regulations. Notably, this deal also signifies the first application of NPRS under Bureau Veritas’ brand new wind propulsion system classification rules (2024 BV NR206).
“This is a significant milestone,” said Heikki Pöntynen, CEO of Norsepower. “We’ll be equipping four vessels with eight NPRS units initially, with a further eight sister ships prepared for future retrofitting. This represents a major step in decarbonizing the maritime industry.”
Bhuvnesh Dogra, head of technical at UML, echoed this sentiment: “UML champions wind propulsion as part of our strategy for optimizing propulsion energy. Partnering with Norsepower to integrate their innovative NPRS technology into our fleet aligns perfectly with our sustainability goals.”
The vessels, designed by Shanghai Odely Marine Engineering, are 18,500 dwt chemical tankers specifically built for navigating the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes in the USA, adhering to a 35.5-meter air draft restriction.
This deal also marks a significant milestone for Norsepower’s new Factory #002 in Dafeng, China, signifying the mass production of 4-meter diameter NPRS units. This increased capacity bodes well for future deployments of Norsepower’s innovative wind propulsion technology.
