Norway-headquartered Odfjell on Friday (25 April) said its chemical tanker Bow Olympus is about to complete the first near-carbon-neutral transatlantic voyage. 

The vessel is currently crossing the Atlantic powered by a combination of wind-assisted propulsion and a certified sustainable 100% biofuel, sourced from certified sustainable waste materials.

“This milestone voyage proves how existing technologies and fuels can be paired to accelerate deep-sea shipping’s transition to net zero emissions,” the company said. 

Real-time data from the voyage confirmed that this dual propulsion approach is not only technically feasible, but also impactful: The vessel’s GHG emissions on the current voyage meet the 2050 Fuel EU Maritime GHG intensity targets and IMO’s GFI Direct Compliance targets at least until 2044.

As Bow Olympus reached European shores last weekend, it has demonstrated that the dual propulsion solution is a realistic pathway to carbon neutrality for deep-sea shipping, 25 years ahead of time: The voyage showed a full 85% reduction in GHG intensity compared to conventional fuels, without technical investments or upgrades required to consume the fuel. 

In addition, the energy efficiency is improved by 15-20% by the use of sails.

The power of wind-assisted propulsion has been tested through Bow Olympus’ two first cross-Atlantic voyages. The four 22-meter suction sails have been operational under varying weather conditions, with the performance closely monitored by Odfjell’s crew and technology team on board and onshore.

“The results have surpassed our expectations,” confirmed VP Technology Erik Hjortland. 

“Even in good, but not perfect, wind conditions, we observed a 15 to 20% energy-saving effect. That translates to five tonnes of fuel saved per day, equivalent to a reduction of 15 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per day.”

“On certain parts of the current voyage, we have seen up to 40% fuel consumption reductions. These are very promising figures. We are thrilled to note that our initial calculations are confirmed and even exceeded.”

Using a new type of AI-based weather routing system allowed the five-year-old 49,000 dwt vessel to take full advantage of the prevailing wind conditions.

“One surprising finding is that even light wind as high as 15 degrees on the bow generates noticeable effect. This means that we can probably operate the sails more often than anticipated, positively affecting the already healthy return of investment figures. The sails also offer stabilizing and roll-damping effects,” Hjortland added

“Based on current data, we expect that the sails will continue delivering significant fuel savings on future deep-sea voyages in all basins.”

The bunkered biofuel was sourced from certified sustainable waste materials. The certification body is accredited by both IMO and EU.

Having exhausted most conventional upgrades, Odfjell is now focused on next-generation solutions—such as wind propulsion—to meet its 2030 goal of 57% carbon intensity reduction.

To move the needle beyond 57%, a fuel switch is required. Odfjell said it has chosen to remain flexible, keeping all doors open at a time when the marine fuel of the future for shipping remains undecided. 

“The choice of biofuel for this proof-of-concept voyage was done to demonstrate one of the pathways,” it added. 

Photo credit: Odfjell
Published: 28 April, 2025

Finnish wind propulsion systems provider Norsepower on Tuesday (15 April) said it has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement with China’s COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Equipment (Nantong) (CHIC) to accelerate the serial production, sales, installation, and service of Norsepower Rotor Sails™ in the region.

The partnership builds on the Norsepower Rotor Sail™ Factory in Dafeng, China, launched in November last year. Norsepower said this is the 'world’s first' factory specialising in rotor sail manufacturing, which guarantees the needed capacity in serial production of Norsepower’s products. 

“Combined with this factory and Norsepower’s exclusive production hub in Poland, the new cooperation with CHIC strengthens the company’s ability to meet growing global demand,” the company said in a statement. 

By leveraging CHIC’s extensive resources in shipbuilding and offshore equipment, the collaboration will drive innovation in wind propulsion and further integrate Norsepower Rotor Sails™ into the regional market. The partnership aims to provide shipping companies with practical, cost-effective solutions to reduce fuel consumption and emissions in line with tightening IMO regulations.

Heikki Pöntynen, CEO of Norsepower, said: “This agreement marks a significant step forward in expanding access to wind propulsion solutions in China. By combining Norsepower’s technology leadership with CHIC’s shipbuilding expertise, we are creating a strong foundation for advancing sustainable shipping.”

“We will achieve breakthroughs in both product supply efficiency and application expansion. We look forward to building on this collaboration and exploring further opportunities together.”

Zhang Jianxin, Deputy General Manager of CHIC, said: “We are excited to partner with Norsepower to advance wind propulsion technology. This cooperation will enhance innovation across product design, manufacturing, and business development, ensuring we deliver high-quality, energy-efficient solutions for the shipping industry.”

With increasing regulatory pressure to decarbonise shipping, Norsepower’s partnership with CHIC underscores the growing momentum behind wind propulsion. By combining expertise and resources, both companies are committed to accelerating the adoption of sustainable products and supporting the industry’s transition to a low-carbon future.

Photo credit: Norsepower
Published: 16 April, 2025

Players within the maritime sector are operating at different levels of readiness in preparation for IMO 2030/2050 and other emissions regulations even though deadlines and goals are clear, observes an industry expert from classification society DNV.

Dr Shahrin Osman, Director, Maritime Decarbonization and Smart Shipping Centre of Excellence (Singapore/Asia Pacific), Maritime Advisory noted the shipping sector being at a critical crossroads, with significant variations in technological readiness and strategic planning amongst different organisations.

“The shipping industry is really fragmented now, so you could not really size up its overall progress on decarbonisation to a certain state,” he told delegates during The Maritime Energy Mix panel discussion session at Sea Asia 2025.

“We have organisations such as MOL that are a lot more advanced in terms of their planning and decision making, while also having the organisation capability to analyse and make decisions.

“Unfortunately, a lot of organizations are not like MOL that are so advanced.”

As such, Dr Shahrin explained the need for tailored decarbonisation plans for each organisation and emphasised the need for expert advice and collaboration to make informed investment decisions in decarbonisation technologies.

He advised stakeholders to refer to DNV’s latest report Energy-efficiency measures and technologies – Key solutions and strategies for Maritime’s decarbonization journey that provides a comprehensive overview of more than 40 energy-efficiency measures, detailing their fuel-saving effects, cost figures, and suitability for specific ship types.

“It's about planning, analysing and taking actions now and that is something that we can do for all shipowners,” shared Dr Shahrin.

“If all shipowners adopted energy efficiency technologies, we can save about 16% on bunker fuel and this saving is equivalent to 2,500 very large vessels or 55,000 small and medium vessels. That is a huge amount of savings that we can achieve just by working together.”

However, he noted data from Clarkson indicating the uptake of emissions reduction technologies by shipowners and operators to be still “very limited”.

“It's not easy, because every investment will be between half a million to 1 million to introduce some of these technologies. Investments for Wind Assisted Propulsion is even worse and you are looking at maybe three to 6 million, but the savings are significant,” noted Dr Shahrin.

“You will need to have that expert advice and input to be able to go to the board or CFO to ask for that investment.

“Decarbonisation between shipping firms is fragmented with each facing different maturity and financial capability. Each shipowner needs to have their own action plan and seek advice from a professional if you do not have your own inhouse expertise.”

Related: DNV launches new report on energy-efficiency measures and technologies for shipowners

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 4 April 2025