Asia/Pacific News
Norsepower to Equip Six New GEFO Tankers with Rotor Sails
Finnish wind propulsion firm Norsepower has secured a contract to supply its wind propulsion system for six newbuild tankers ordered by the GEFO Shipping Group.
The vessels are currently under construction at the Nantong Xiangyu Shipbuilding yard in China, with deliveries scheduled between 2026 and 2028, Norsepower said in a statement on its website on Wednesday.
Four of the vessels - 3,850 DWT chemical tankers - will each be equipped with a single rotor sail measuring 20 m x 4 m. The remaining two ships, both 7,900 DWT tankers, will feature a larger 28 m x 4 m rotor sail.
The rotor sails will be manufactured at Norsepower's facility in China and delivered fully assembled. Installation is planned to take place shortly after hull completion at the shipyard.
An increasing number of shipowners are turning to wind-assisted propulsion technologies to curb bunker fuel consumption and reduce CO2 emissions. Such systems can be installed on newbuilds or retrofitted to existing vessels.
"This is a landmark agreement for Norsepower, not just because it involves two new customers and six vessels — but because it signals a fundamental shift in how wind propulsion is perceived in commercial shipping," Heikki Pöntynen, CEO of Norsepower, said.
