Viking Grace transforms into sailing ship today

Cruise ship operator Viking Line will operate the Viking Grace on wind assisted voyages between Turku (Finland) and Stockholm (Sweden) from Thursday, said a press release.

The M/S Viking Grace is the first passenger ship in the world equipped with a rotor sail for the utilisation of wind power.

Developed by the Finnish company Norsepower Oy Ltd, the Rotor Sail Solution will cut fuel consumption and reduce emissions by up to 900 tonnes annually.

Operating since 2013, the Viking Grace is among the most ecological passenger ships in the world: it is fuelled with Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and has very low emissions and noise levels, the company sources claimed.

“This is a great day for us. As an Åland shipping company, we rely on the sea for our livelihood so it’s of prime importance for us to promote the well-being of the marine sea. We want to pioneer the use of solutions that reduce the environmental load. Based in Finland, Norsepower has developed a world-class mechanical rotor sail solution that will reduce fuel consumption. We are proud of the fact that our Viking Grace will be the first passenger ship in the world to benefit from this innovative solution”, explains Jan Hanses, CEO of Viking Line.