Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA), the French shipowner who works on a fleet to be chartered by Airbus, will see these con-ros equipped with Norsepower's Rotor Sails.

Each of the three dual-fuel (e-methanol) freighters will be outfitted with six 35-metre-tall sails.

LDA's Rotor Sails will feature the brand-new patented Norsepower Sentient Control™, a real-time force measurement, control, and savings reporting system. It will allow controlling the rotors individually. Norsepower explained in a press brief:

This optimises efficiency by managing the complex aerodynamic interactions between the sails and the hydrodynamic behaviour of the vessel. Extensive computational fluid dynamics [...] and wind tunnel tests have been carried out during the design phase to optimise the sail arrangement and design.

Additionally, routing software will optimise the vessels' journey across the Atlantic, maximising wind propulsion and avoiding drag caused by adverse ocean conditions.

Estimations say that the new con-ros will halve the carbon footprint of LDA-Airbus' Transatlantic voyages by 2030 vs 2023 levels (from 68kt to 33kt/year).

The vessels - designed by Deltamarin, constructed by the Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group, and owned and operated by LDA - are expected to set sail in 2026. They will offer a carrying capacity of around 70 forty-foot containers and room for six single-aisle aircraft sub-assembly sets.

Mathieu Muzeau, Transport and Logistic General Manager at LDA, said:

While the IMO [International Maritime Organization] has set challenging targets to bring shipping to net-zero, wind propulsion is considered as a viable element of the sustainable energy mix for seagoing ships. We are proud to be part of the energy transition through our partnership with Norsepower to offer innovative solutions and sustainably driving change.

Tuomas Riski, CEO of Norsepower, commented:

This fleet-wide deal is a game changer for the whole auxiliary wind propulsion industry. Firstly, it is the biggest deal ever made in the mechanical sails market - and, in a world first, it includes our brand new Norsepower Sentient Control™ tool. We are honoured that the first charterer to utilise this advanced control system is Airbus, the foremost expert in aerodynamics in the world. We thank LDA and Airbus for being forerunners of this industry - and look forward to our continued cooperation!

Photo: Norsepower