Norsepower has won the contract to install rotor sails on a pair of methanol-fuelled VLCCs in a world-first for shipping. Japan’s Idemitsu Tanker first revealed its contract to build these new-look ships in May this year, signing with Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU) and Nihon Shipyard for the tankers, costing $135m each. Today, it was revealed that they will feature Norsepower kit on deck with two 35 m by 5 m rotor sails. The first vessel is scheduled for delivery at the end of 2028. “This project reflects our philosophy of combining reliable operations with innovation to serve global energy needs responsibly,” commented a spokesperson for Idemitsu Tanker. Norsepower Rotor Sails have already been installed on 22 tankers of various sizes — from smaller chemical tankers, LC02 carriers, MRs, LRs, VLGCs — and now, for the first time, on VLCCs. Heikki Pöntynen, CEO of Norsepower, said: “This is a defining moment for Norsepower and for wind propulsion in global shipping. Partnering with Idemitsu Tanker and JMU on the first VLCCs with rotor sails and doing so as our first newbuild project in Japan is a tremendous step forward. Japan has already become the single biggest market for Norsepower projects, and this collaboration confirms both the trust in our technology and its relevance across all tanker segments.” The Norsepower Rotor Sail is a modernised, data-driven evolution of the Flettner rotor – a spinning cylinder that uses the Magnus Effect to capture wind and deliver clean propulsion. Other Japanese shipowners have made significant investments in wind technology. Mitsui OSK Lines has been developing a hard sail over the past decade, while Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha is pursuing kite technology on a large scale. In September, Nissen Kaiun became a shareholder in Dutch wind tech pioneer Econowind, the inventor of the VentoFoil, a wing-shaped wind-assist device. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1_95_0_1_2'); }); TagsJapan