GEFO Shipping to install rotor sails on six tankers

Hamburg-based GEFO Shipping will equip six newbuild chemical tankers with rotor sails.

IMAGE: Illustration of a GEFO Shipping chemical tanker equipped with a rotor sail. Norsepower

Among six newbuild chemical tankers, four vessels of 3,850 dwt will each be fitted with a 20-metre rotor sail, while two larger 7,990 dwt tankers will each feature a 28-metre rotor sail.

The rotor sails, supplied by Finnish cleantech firm Norsepower, harness the Magnus effect to generate lift through spinning motion. In favourable wind conditions, this allows the main engine to throttle back, reducing fuel consumption without sacrificing speed.

The sails will be manufactured at Norsepower’s facility in China and delivered to the shipyard ready for installation.

The vessels, designed by German engineering firm Ship Design & Consult, will be built by Chinese shipbuilder Nantong Xiangyu Shipbuilding. The ships will be delivered between 2026-2028 and come with rotor sails installed.

The financing of these six tankers is backed by the German Government’s Namkue Fund, which supports eco-friendly coastal shipping and decarbonisation technologies.

By Tuhin Roy

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