A fleet of four Union Maritime tankers to be fitted with Norsepower Rotor Sails
Norsepower, the leading provider of mechanical sails for large vessels, has closed a new deal with Union Maritime Limited (UML) to equip its fleet of new product tankers with Norsepower Rotor Sails (NPRS), according to the company's release. The agreement includes supply contracts for a total of four newbuild ships fitted with rotor sails, to be constructed in China at Fujian Southeast Shipbuilding Ltd. and at Wuhu Shipyard Co. Ltd. A further eight vessels will also be rotor sail ready for easy retrofitting in future.
The vessels, designed by Shanghai Odely Marine Engineering Co., Ltd., will be chemical tankers with a capacity of 18,500 deadweight tons (dwt). Each ship will be fitted with two NPRS, featuring Norsepower’s proprietary explosion-protection design to meet the stringent safety standards required for product tankers.
The ships are specifically designed for navigation through the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes, USA, with an air draft limited to 35.5 meters as per charterer requirements.
Classified by Bureau Veritas with the class notation “Wind Propulsion 2,” this deal marks the second Norsepower order supplied, according to BV rules, and the first according to the classification society’s brand-new rules for wind propulsion systems (2024 BV NR206).
This deal also signifies the serialization of the construction of NPRS with a diameter of 4 meters, fully manufactured and assembled at Norsepower’s new Factory 002 in Dafeng, China, solidifying the new factory’s increased delivery capacity.
