Stena Line and Norsepower have entered into an agreement for the installation of two Norsepower Rotor Sails™ on Stena Line's new methanol hybrid RoRo vessel, Stena Connecta, according to the company's release.
The vessel, built by Jinling Weihai Shipyard, is scheduled for delivery in Q4 2025 and will operate on the Irish Sea between Belfast and Heysham.
The 147-meter Stena Connecta will feature two 28x4m Norsepower Rotor Sails™ (NPRS), projected to deliver up to 9% fuel savings on its planned trade route.
The agreement supports Stena Line's goal to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent by 2030.
Heikki Pöntynen, CEO of Norsepower, stated, "We are honoured to work with Stena Line, a company that has consistently led the way in sustainable shipping innovation. This partnership underscores the reliability and quality of Norsepower’s products, as well as its alignment with Stena Line’s forward-thinking goals to cut CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030."
Dennis Tetzlaff, Chief Operating Officer Fleet, at Stena Line, said, “Stena Line recently launched our new ship, Stena Connecta, into the water and it will now be fitted out with two rotor sails. These sails will harness wind power to provide auxiliary propulsion to the vessel, therefore reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Innovations such as this are key to futureproofing our vessels and to reaching our emissions targets.”
The NPRS will be manufactured at Norsepower’s new production facility in Yancheng, China, and delivered directly to the shipyard.
Stena Connecta is designed to operate on methanol and is part of Stena Line's broader initiative to integrate sustainable technologies.
The sister vessel, Stena Futura, is being delivered “rotor sail ready.”
Stena Line is a Swedish shipping line and one of the largest ferry operators in the world, providing passenger and freight services across Northern Europe.
Norsepower is a Finnish clean technology and engineering company pioneering the mechanical sail market, delivering and installing Rotor Sails for large ships.