VLCC newbuild pair to get Norsepower sails
Wind propulsion company Norsepower announced it has sealed an agreement with Idemitsu Tanker Co. Ltd. to install a pair of its rotor sails on each of two newbuild VLCCs to be built at Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU) and Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd., (NSY).
The agreement will see the world-first release of VLCCs to be fitted with rotor sails; the first ship is due for delivery in 2028. Two 35x5-metre explosion-proof Norsepower Rotor Sails will be installed on the deck of each tanker.
One of the vessels will be Idemitsu Tanker’s new flagship and will be named Nissho Maru VI. The company has built and operated five generations of ships named Nissho Maru since the first was launched in 1938, the most recent was completed in 2004.
The new 309,400 dwt vessels will have dual-fuel engines capable of burning methanol, as well as shaft generators.
Norsepower said it has 22 of its Rotor Sails in operation in the tanker segment, and has installed units on tankers ranging from chemical tankers, liquid CO2 carriers, MRs, LRs, and VLGCs. Typical fuel savings from the use of Rotor Sails range from 5 to 25%, the company said.
Heikki Pöntynen, CEO of Norsepower, said: “This is a defining moment for Norsepower and for wind propulsion in global shipping. Partnering with Idemitsu Tanker and JMU on the first VLCCs with rotor sails and doing so as our first newbuild project in Japan, is a tremQendous step forward. Japan has already become the single biggest market for Norsepower projects, and this collaboration confirms both the trust in our technology and its relevance across all tanker segments.”
Idemitsu Tanker said: “Idemitsu Tanker is accelerating the implementation of new technologies and is committed to realising a carbon-neutral society by achieving both a stable energy transportation and a reduced environmental impact. By equipping our new VLCCs with the Norsepower Rotor Sails, we are not only investing in fuel savings and emission reductions but also taking a decisive step towards the decarbonisation of long-haul shipping. This project reflects our philosophy of combining reliable operations with innovation to serve global energy needs responsibly.”
Idemitsu Tanker is the shipping arm of Japanese energy company Idemitsu Kosan.
