Japanese Bulk Carrier Becomes 1st Coal Carrier To Use Norsepower Rotor Sail

Norsepower has completed the installation of a 24-meter by 4-meter Rotor Sail on the bulk carrier Yodohime. The installation was carried out at a dockyard in December 2024 and was followed by the vessel’s first voyage in January 2025.

The project was a collaboration between IINO Kaiun Kaisha, Ltd. (IINO Lines), Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. (J-Power), and Norsepower Oy Ltd.

The Yodohime is a coal carrier built in Japan in 2016. This installation is the first application of Norsepower’s Rotor Sail on a dedicated coal carrier.

The sail is expected to reduce the vessel’s fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions by about 6 to 10 per cent. The rotor sail was installed on the forecastle deck of the vessel, near the bow.

The Rotor Sail is a wind propulsion system that uses the Magnus effect, which occurs when wind meets the rotating cylindrical sail and produces thrust.

The sail is equipped with the latest AI technology that automatically controls its rotation, direction, and speed using real-time meteorological data, such as wind direction and speed.

This data is captured by sensors onboard the ship. A small amount of power from the ship rotates the rotor, optimising the system’s efficiency.

The Yodohime is the second vessel in the IINO Lines’ fleet to be equipped with a Norsepower Rotor Sail. Last November, IINO Lines installed a rotor sail on the very large gas carrier Oceanus Aurora (58,495 dwt).

This installation is the first use of wind-assisted propulsion for J-Power, and the company is also pursuing other wind-assisted propulsion projects with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, MOL, using a rigid sail, and K Lines with a sail concept.

The vessel has a deadweight tonnage of 85,000 dwt and a length of 757 feet (229 meters). It is one of the first large bulk carriers to be fitted with a rotor sail.

Norsepower reports that it has now completed 30 rotor installations on 17 vessels. The company also states that in the next 18 months, 42 more rotor sails are set to be installed on 15 ships.

This technology has gained increasing acceptance in the commercial shipping industry, and the company is continuously working to support the adoption of wind-assisted propulsion.

Reference: Norsepower

Source: Maritime Shipping News