Stena Line Goes Green with Norsepower’s Rotor Sails for Next-Gen Methanol-Ready Ferry
In a bold move toward sustainable shipping, Swedish ferry giant Stena Line is doubling down on cleantech innovation. The company has partnered with Finnish wind propulsion pioneers Norsepower to equip its brand-new methanol-ready NewMax ferry, Stena Connecta, with cutting-edge rotor sails. This isn’t just a nod to sustainability—it’s a full-throttle leap into the future of maritime tech.
Scheduled to hit the waves in late 2025, the 147-meter-long Stena Connecta will feature two towering 28×4-meter Norsepower rotor sails. These aren’t your grandfather’s sails—they’re sleek, AI-optimized cylinders that harness wind power to slash fuel consumption by up to 9% on the Belfast-Heysham route. And with wind conditions on the Irish Sea playing right into their hands, Stena Line is betting big on this wind-assisted propulsion system to futureproof its fleet.
Methanol Meets Wind Power: A Hybrid Revolution
But the rotor sails are just one piece of the puzzle. The Stena Connecta is part of Stena Line’s broader push to decarbonize its operations, with a goal to cut CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030. The vessel is methanol-ready, meaning it can run on this cleaner-burning fuel, which produces fewer greenhouse gases than traditional marine diesel. This hybrid approach—combining wind propulsion with methanol—positions Stena Line as a frontrunner in the race toward zero-emission shipping.
“Innovations like this are key to futureproofing our vessels and reaching our emissions targets,” says Dennis Tetzlaff, Stena Line’s Chief Operating Officer Fleet. “The rotor sails will harness wind power to provide auxiliary propulsion, reducing fuel consumption and emissions. It’s a win-win for efficiency and sustainability.”
From China to the Irish Sea: A Supply Chain Built for Sustainability
Even the manufacturing process is getting a green makeover. Norsepower’s rotor sails will be produced at their state-of-the-art facility in Yancheng, China, and shipped directly to the Jinling Weihai Shipyard, where the Stena Connecta is being fitted out. This streamlined approach minimizes both costs and emissions, ensuring the project’s environmental footprint is as light as possible.
This isn’t Stena Line’s first rodeo with methanol. Back in 2015, the company made waves by converting the Stena Germanica to run on methanol, a first for the ferry industry. Now, they’re taking it a step further, retrofitting two more vessels—Stena Superfast VII and Stena Superfast VIII—with methanol dual-fuel propulsion systems in collaboration with Lloyd’s Register. It’s all part of a broader strategy to integrate sustainable tech across their fleet.
As the maritime industry grapples with the urgent need to decarbonize, Stena Line is proving that innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand. With the Stena Connecta leading the charge, the future of shipping is looking greener—and more high-tech—than ever.
