World’s Largest Battery-Powered Cargo Ships To Use Rotor Sails For Harsh Conditions

General cargo vessel — Image Credits: Norsepower

Norwegian shipping company Berge Rederi and wind propulsion expert Norsepower are working together to build two environmentally friendly cargo ships.

These ships, equipped with advanced technology, will operate without emissions and handle harsh weather conditions.

The two ships are being built by Jiangsu SOHO Marine Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. in China and are designed by Marine Design and Consulting AS (MDC).

The first ship is expected to launch by late 2025, already equipped with Norsepower Rotor Sails™ and other green technologies.

Each ship will be 130 meters long and can carry up to 13,250 tons. They will have a large 23.5 MWh battery system, shaft generators, and two fixed Norsepower Rotor Sails, each measuring 24m x 4m.

These rotor sails are specially built to handle extreme weather like snow, ice, rain, and strong winds, which are common in the Northern Sea.

The ships will transport marble from Brønnøy and Visnes along the Norwegian coast to the Omya Hustadmarmor plant in Elnesvågen, covering about 230 nautical miles.

This makes them the largest battery-powered cargo ships in the world and sets a new record for battery-electric voyages, surpassing the current longest ferry route of just 15 nautical miles.

The ships will operate with zero emissions. Charging stations at the ports in Remman (Brønnøy) and Elnesvågen will provide power. Electric excavators and shore power connections at both ports will ensure eco-friendly cargo handling.

Berge Rederi expects each ship to save 9,000 tons of CO2 and 200 tons of NOx emissions every year. The rotor sails alone will save 339 kW of power per voyage, making the ships highly efficient.

Berge Rederi, Norsepower, and MDC have worked together from the start to ensure the ships are optimised for efficiency and reliability. Through detailed studies, the teams have integrated these technologies into the ship designs.

Norsepower stated that their rotor sails have been tested in tough sea conditions for over a decade, making them confident in their performance on these ships.

The project has received financial backing from the Norwegian NOx Fund and Enova. It also got guidance from the GSP Service Centre for Green Fleet Renewal.

Berge Rederi, based in Hitra, Norway, operates nine bulk cargo vessels ranging from 2,700 to 13,000 tons.

Reference: Norsepower

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