Developed by Finnish clean technology and engineering company Norsepower Oy Ltd., the Rotor Sail Solution will cut fuel consumption and reduce carbon emissions by up to 900 tonnes annually. Viking Line will operate the Viking Grace on wind-assisted voyages between Turku (Finland) and Stockholm (Sweden) from April 2018
The cylindrical Rotor Sail unit installed on M/S Viking Grace is 24m in height and 4m in diameter, and is a modernised version of the Flettner rotor; a spinning cylinder that uses the Magnus effect to harness wind power to propel a ship. The solution is fully automated and senses whenever the wind is strong enough to deliver fuel savings, at which point the rotors start automatically – optimising crew time and resource.
In addition to the installation onboard the M/S Viking Grace, Viking Line will also install two Norsepower Rotor Sails onboard a newbuild cruise ferry vessel which is currently being built in China and due to be operational in 2020.
By Jake Frith
