VIDEO: Sea-Cargo completes tiltable rotor sail retrofit

Retrofit demonstrates that rotor sails can be used by vessels that have to negotiate height restricted routes. [Image: Artur Sylerstrzak/SC Connector]

Norsepower Oy Ltd.reports that it has has successfully installed two 35-meter tall rotor sails on board the SC Connector, a 12,251 gt side-door RO/RO vessel operated by Norwegian multipurpose vessel operator Sea-Cargo. Plans for the conversion were announced back in June last year.

The units are the world’s first tiltable rotor sails, demonstrating that the technology can be used by vessels that have to negotiate height restricted routes.

According an analysis conducted by Norsepower and Sea-Cargo, the installation on board the SC Connector promises to deliver a fuel consumption, fuel cost and carbon emissions reduction of up to 25%. In good wind conditions, the sailing vessel will maintain regular service speed by sail alone.

The SC Connector, which sails between Western Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and, also, Sweden and Poland, transits under multiple bridges and power lines, requiring adaptation of the rotor sails to tilt to almost horizontal when required.

Tuomas Riski, CEO, Norsepower, said: “Completing the installation has been extremely rewarding, as it reflects how, in taking a collaborative approach with a customer, we can innovate to create solutions that allow rotor sails to benefit almost any vessel type or trading route. As we get closer to 2030 IMO targets, we are seeing our technology gaining momentum—with the market seeing the flexibility we can provide to suit different vessel requirements. This installation demonstrates the technology can go a long way to future proofing IMO GHG compliance, while ensuring significant emissions, and fuel reductions to a variety of vessel profiles today.”

“We are focusing on utilizing available renewable energy and using it for direct propulsion to design more environmentally friendly vessels,” said Ole Sævild, Managing Director, Sea-Cargo. “The rotor sail technology has been proven in the market for a while, but the size is unique for our project. The sails are far more efficient than conventional sails of the same size and the tilting function is essential to our voyage routes. Given the estimated emissions savings, we will use our experience of this full scale project, and proceed to develop it further for other vessels in our fleet.”