The Swedish shipping line has contracted the Finnish Norsepower to furnish the under-construction Stena Connecta (at Jinling Weihai Shipyard) with two 28-metre-tall and 4-in-diameter Rotor Sails.
Once delivered in Q4 2025 and put on the Belfast-Heysham service, the 147-metre-long freighter is projected to save up to 9% on fuel thanks to the wind auxiliary propulsion system (manufactured by Norsepower at its facility in the Chinese Yancheng).
Stena Connecta's sister ship, Stena Futura, will be delivered rotor sail-ready.
"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," said Heikki Pöntynen, CEO of Norsepower.
Stena Line's Chief Operating Officer Fleet, Dennis Tetzlaff, added, "Stena Line recently launched our new ship, Stena Connecta, into the water and it will now be fitted out with two Rotor Sails. These 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 emission targets."
Photo: Stena Line