Viking Line LNG-Powered Vessel Set to Receive Bunker-Saving Rotor Sail

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Wednesday January 25, 2017

Norsepower Oy Ltd. (Norsepower) today announced that it has signed an agreement with Finland's Viking Line for the installation of Norsepower's Rotor Sail Solution onboard the liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fuelled M/S Viking Grace.

Utilising the Rotor Sail Solution, it is expected that Viking Grace will be able to reduce its emissions by about 900 tonnes per year, bunker consumption by the equivalent of 300 tonnes of LNG per year, as well as reducing its overall fuel costs.

The solution is noted to be fully automated, capable of detecting when wind is strong enough to deliver fuel savings, starting automatically to save crew time and resources.

Norsepower says its Rotor Sail Solution has been shown to be capable of porivding fuel savings of up to 20 percent per year on routes with favourable wind flows, sufficient sized rotor sails, and appropriate service speed.

"This project marks the first of its kind modern auxiliary wind propulsion technology installation onboard a cruise ferry," said Tuomas Riski, Norsepower's CEO.

"As a Finnish based clean technology and engineering company, we are proud to be partnering with yet another prominent shipping company as we work towards a modern era of auxiliary wind propulsion for the global maritime fleet, while supporting shipping’s transition to the low carbon economy."

The 57,565 GT Viking Grace, which operates between Turku and Stockholm, and is said to be one of the most environmentally-friendly cruise ferries in the world.

"As an organisation that strives to ensure that our fleet operates in an environmentally friendly and economical way, we are proud to be partnering with Norsepower. Our cruise vessel is the first to use a combination of alternative clean fuels, modern Rotor Sails, electric propulsion, and a hydrodynamically optimised hull," said Ulf Hagström, Senior Vice President of Marine Operations & Newbuildings, Viking Line.

"We believe in the Rotor Sail Solution technology's ability to enhance our ship's performance by enabling significant reductions in fuel burn and costs, as well as carbon emissions."

Viking Grace's Rotor Sail Solution is expected take place during the second quarter of 2018.

As Ship & Bunker has reported, Norsepower says that sea trials on its Rotor Sail Solution showed a fuel savings of 2.6 percent.