GEFO orders Norsepower rotor sails for six newbuild tankers

Finnish wind propulsion systems provider Norsepower has secured a new agreement to deliver six of its Norsepower rotor sails™ for a fleet of newbuild tankers commissioned by GEFO Shipping Group.

These newbuild vessels, designed by Ship Design & Consult GmbH (SDC), and constructed by Nantong Xiangyu Shipbuilding, will be delivered between 2026 and 2028 with the rotor sails installed.

This deal represents the first collaboration between Norsepower, GEFO, and the shipbuilder Nantong Xiangyu Shipbuilding.

The agreement covers six tankers across two distinct designs; four 3,850-dwt chemical tankers, each to be equipped with one 20mx4m Norsepower rotor sail and two 7,900-dwt chemical tankers, each to be equipped with one 28mx4m Norsepower rotor sail.

All six rotor sails will feature Norsepower’s EX-compliant design, certified for use on vessels transporting flammable cargoes and compliant with all class and safety requirements, according to the company’s announcement.

These rotor sails will be manufactured at Norsepower’s dedicated factory in China, Norsepower said, and delivered to the yard fully assembled, tested and ready for installation.

The six-vessel order will be fulfilled by Chinese yard Nantong Xiangyu Shipbuilding.

The vessels were designed by German naval architecture firm SDC Ship Design & Consult GmbH, with integrated wind propulsion considered from the earliest design stages.

“This is a landmark agreement for Norsepower, not just because it involves two new customers and six vessels, but because it signals a fundamental shift in how wind propulsion is perceived in commercial shipping,” said Heikki Pöntynen, CEO of Norsepower.

The six newbuild vessels have received support from the German Government’s Namkue Fund (Nachhaltige Modernisierung von Küstenschiffen), a financial instrument aimed at promoting sustainable coastal shipping and accelerating decarbonisation technologies.

The first vessels in the series are scheduled for delivery in early 2026, with Norsepower rotor sails™ installed shortly after hull completion at the shipyard.