Oceanus Aurora Equipped with Norsepower Rotor Sails for Greener Shipping
Oceanus Aurora Gets New Rotor Sails to Make Shipping Greener
Norsepower, a company known for its wind propulsion technology, has partnered with IINO Kaiun Kaisha, Ltd. (IINO LINES), a well-known shipping company, to install two Norsepower Rotor Sails™️ on the Oceanus Aurora. This ship is a Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) and is chartered by Borealis, a company that makes advanced and sustainable plastic materials. Borealis is also a leader in recycling plastics and produces key chemicals in Europe.
What Makes the New Rotor Sails Special?
The Oceanus Aurora now has two specially-made Rotor Sails from Norsepower. Each sail is 20 meters tall and 4 meters wide. They were designed to fit the ship’s exact height requirements so they wouldn’t get in the way of other operations.
These sails are modern versions of an older technology called the Flettner rotor. The Norsepower Rotor Sail™️ uses a small amount of electricity to spin the cylindrical sails on the ship’s deck. When the sails spin, they capture wind energy, creating a force called the Magnus effect, which pushes the ship forward. This helps the ship use less fuel, which means fewer emissions and lower fuel costs.
How the Oceanus Aurora Uses Wind Power
The Oceanus Aurora sails between Houston, USA, and two places in Europe: Stenungsund, Sweden, and Porvoo, Finland. With the new Rotor Sails, Norsepower estimates that the ship will cut its fuel use and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by about 4%. This is important because it matches international goals for reducing pollution from ships, like the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII). Plus, it helps keep fuel costs down as they continue to rise.
Thomas Van De Velde, a senior leader at Borealis, said, “Cutting down the environmental impact of our transport activities is crucial for our energy and climate strategy. These Rotor Sails on Oceanus Aurora will help us reach our green goals and support cleaner shipping.”
Why Companies Are Investing in Green Shipping
Seiichi Fujimura, a top executive at IINO Lines, said that investing in cleaner ships is a key part of their environmental goals. By teaming up with Norsepower and Borealis, IINO Lines can use the latest technologies to make shipping greener and reduce pollution.
Norsepower’s CEO, Heikki Pöntynen, highlighted that these new sails show how serious the shipping industry is about sustainability. He pointed out that the 27 Rotor Sails already in use on other ships have proven to save both fuel and emissions. The installation on the Oceanus Aurora is the third Rotor Sail project for a gas carrier, showing the growing trend of eco-friendly choices in shipping.
How the Rotor Sails Were Installed
The Oceanus Aurora, which can run on two types of fuel including LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas), was first delivered in March 2023 by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. in Korea, now known as Hanwha Ocean Co., Ltd. The ship was built with a place ready for the Rotor Sails, making it easier to add them later. The installation happened in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in early November 2024.
The Future of Green Shipping
This project shows a clear step forward in making shipping more sustainable. The Oceanus Aurora’s new Rotor Sails will not only lower emissions but also help meet strict global shipping standards. It is a sign that more shipping companies may follow IINO Lines and Borealis in adopting eco-friendly technology to make the seas cleaner.
Conclusion: The use of Norsepower’s Rotor Sails on the Oceanus Aurora is an example of how the shipping industry is changing. By using wind power, companies can reduce their environmental impact while keeping costs under control. This installation is just the beginning of what could be a wave of green changes in maritime shipping.
