Wind propulsion leader Norsepower and esteemed shipping company IINO Kaiun Kaisha, Ltd. (IINO Lines) have completed the installation of two Norsepower Rotor Sails (NPRS) on the Oceanus Aurora, a Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) chartered by Borealis, one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and sustainable polyolefins solutions. In Europe, Borealis is also an innovative leader in polyolefins recycling and a major producer of base chemicals.
The VLGC Oceanus Aurora has been outfitted with two custom-designed NPRS. These units, measuring 20 meters tall and 4 meters in diameter, have been tailored to meet the vessel’s precise air draught limits.
The Norsepower Rotor Sail is a modernized version of the Flettner rotor: utilizing a small amount of electricity to spin cylindrical sails on the deck, the NPRS harnesses wind and the Magnus effect to generate powerful thrust. This innovative product bolsters the main propulsion, resulting in reduced fuel consumption, emissions and fuel costs.
Oceanus Aurora sails between Houston (USA) and Stenungsund (Sweden) or Porvoo (Finland). Calculations by Norsepower indicate that the NPRS will reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions by approximately 4%, aligning with international emissions reduction targets, including the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), and mitigating rising fuel costs.
“Minimizing the environmental footprint of our transportation activities is vital to our Energy & Climate strategy”, says Thomas Van De Velde, Borealis Senior Vice President Base Chemicals and Energy. “The innovative Norsepower Rotor Sails on the Oceanus Aurora vessel will help us achieve our ambitious emission reduction targets and thus support the transformation towards more environmentally sustainable transportation.”
Seiichi Fujimura, Director, Executive Officer of IINO Lines, remarks: “Investing in sustainable vessels is paramount to our commitment to environmental stewardship. Partnering with Norsepower and Borealis allows us to integrate promising technologies into our operations, bolstering our efforts towards decarbonization.”
Heikki Pöntynen, CEO of Norsepower, comments: “Our most recent installations underscore the shipping industry’s proactive approach to sustainability. The solid real life performance data from our 27 NPRS units in operation demonstrate tangible reductions in both fuel costs and emissions. With this third delivery and installation contract for a gas carrier, we are honored to support IINO Lines and Borealis in their pursuit of environmental and commercial excellence.”
The Oceanus Aurora, a dual fuel LPG ship, was delivered in March 2023 from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd in Korea (today, Hanwha Ocean Co., Ltd.), with the foundations for the Norsepower Rotor Sails already in place. The installation of the units took place in Rotterdam, The Netherlands at the beginning of November 2024.
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This media release is also available in German language.
Media contacts:
Borealis
Borealis Group Media Desk
Virginia Wieser, Lena Lehner, Karin Schober
Tel: +43 1 22 400 899 (Vienna, Austria)
E-mail: media@borealisgroup.com
IINO Lines
Gas Carrier Department No.1
Tel: +81 3 6273 3098 (Tokyo, Japan)
E-mail: lpg@ex.iino.co.jp
Norsepower
Celia Stewart, Rud Pedersen
E-mail: norsepower@rudpedersen.com
About Borealis
Borealis is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and sustainable polyolefin solutions. In Europe, Borealis is also an innovative leader in polyolefins recycling and a major producer of base chemicals. We leverage our polymer expertise and decades of experience to offer value-adding, innovative and circular material solutions for key industries such as consumer products, energy, healthcare, infrastructure and mobility.
With customers in over 120 countries and head office in Vienna, Austria, Borealis employs around 6,000 people. In 2023, we generated a net profit of EUR 216 million. OMV, the integrated energy, fuels & feedstock and chemicals & materials company headquartered in Vienna, Austria, owns 75% of our shares. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), owns the remaining 25%.
In re-inventing essentials for sustainable living, we build on our commitment to safety, our people, innovation and technology, and performance excellence. We are accelerating the transformation to a circular economy of polyolefins and expanding our geographical footprint to better serve our customers around the globe. Our operations are augmented by two important joint ventures: Borouge (with ADNOC, headquartered in the UAE); and Baystar™ (with TotalEnergies, based in the US).
www.borealisgroup.com | www.borealiseverminds.com
About IINO Lines
IINO Lines is a global shipping company based in Tokyo, established in 1899. IINO Lines has been developing its shipping services as owner and operator specialized in carrying natural energy resources and its related products such as crude oil, LNG, LPG, petrochemical and bulk cargoes. As of March 31, 2024, a total of 96 vessels are owned and operated by IINO Lines, including 4 VLCCs, 36 chemical tankers, 22 dry bulk carriers, 9 large gas car-riers, and 25 small gas carriers. In LPG transportation, IINO Lines has almost 60 years history since it started its service of overseas LPG carrier in 1963, and coastal service in 1960 by the first pressurized LPG carrier in Japan. IINO Lines provides safe and reliable shipping services to customers with own technical and crew management backed by long experience and professional personnel. Consolidated revenues for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, were JPY138.0 billion. Global offices are located in Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, London and Houston.
For more information, please visit: https://www.iino.co.jp/kaiun/english/index.html
About Norsepower
Norsepower is the global market leader in mechanical sails for large ships. The award-winning company can help decarbonize 30,000 ships afloat today. Norsepower Rotor Sail™ harnesses the power of the wind to drive down fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 5–25% — or even more in good conditions. Customers have been using the product for more than ten years.
Since its establishment in 2012, Norsepower has raised more than €50 million in funding to support its fast growth. 28 Norsepower Rotor Sails™ have been installed onboard 15 vessels so far. Installations within the next 18 months consist of 34 units on 13 ships. Around 100,000+ hours of Norsepower Rotor Sail performance data have been verified by independent third parties such as ABB, NAPA, RISE, and Lloyd’s Register.
For more information on the Norsepower Rotor Sail™, visit: www.norsepower.com
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