Norsepower and COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Equipment have moved to deepen their wind propulsion partnership with a dedicated R&D agreement covering key components for Norsepower Rotor Sails, according to Norsepower.
The agreement was signed in Yancheng, China, by Norsepower chief executive Heikki Pöntynen and CHIC vice general manager Roger Liu, with representatives of both companies present.
The deal follows a cooperation agreement signed in Shanghai at the start of the year and builds on a wider arrangement covering production, sales, installation and service operations for Norsepower Rotor Sails™.
The companies had signed their first MoU last year. The R&D work will focus on design, manufacturability, installation efficiency and operational performance.
Norsepower and CHIC said the programme is intended to support development and project execution for the next generation of Rotor Sails as wind propulsion moves further into commercial shipping.
The agreement extends a partnership linking Norsepower’s rotor sail technology with CHIC’s engineering, manufacturing and installation capacity.
Norsepower is a Finnish marine technology company that develops auxiliary wind propulsion systems for commercial vessels.
COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Equipment, or CHIC, is a China-based marine equipment business within the COSCO Shipping heavy industry structure, with activities in engineering, manufacturing, installation and service operations.
