Mirova invests in Norsepower, the leading global provider of mechanical sails for large ships
Norsepower receives new funding from leading global private and state investors, providing a springboard to harness the power of wind by giving sails a modern spin – literally.
Norsepower Oy Ltd, the leading global provider of mechanical sails for large ships, has successfully secured 28 million euros in its latest Series C fundraising round. French asset manager Mirova, an affiliate of Natixis Investment Management dedicated to sustainable investment, led the fundraising. Additional participants in the round included The Finnish Climate Fund (Ilmastorahasto), OGCI Climate Investments, Nefco – The Nordic Green Bank, Tesi, and Power Fund III. With a focus on impact, these organisations have joined forces to enable Norsepower to scale up production and expand the reach of its fuel-saving and emissions-reducing technology.
On a mission to decarbonise the shipping industry, Norsepower is committed to harnessing the power of the wind for large ships. According to Norsepower, there are currently 30,000 vessels on the water today that can benefit from award-winning Norsepower Rotor SailsTM, which highlights the opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions across the global fleet by 80 megatons on an annual basis.
The Norsepower Rotor Sail™ is a modernised version of the Flettner rotor. The Norsepower Rotor Sail™ uses a minimal amount of the ship’s electric power to rotate cylinder-shaped rotors on the ship’s deck. Rotation together with wind generates powerful thrust – saving fuel and reducing emissions. The product has already been used by customers for over eight years and has 250,000 operating hours of verified performance data acquired from some of the world’s best-known shipping companies and charterers. This performance data includes installations in collaboration with customers including Bore, Sea-Cargo, Scandlines, Vale, CLdN, Nippon Marine, and Socatra who have selected Norsepower Rotor SailsTM for improving fuel efficiency and reducing the emissions of their shipping operations.
The data – which shows fuel consumption savings 5-25%, or even more - has been measured and analysed independently by Lloyd’s Register, one shipping’s leading providers of classification, compliance and consultancy services to the marine and offshore industries, as well as ABB, NAPA, Chalmers University of Technology and VTT.
Provided as a combination of equity financing and loans, the breadth and scale of the investment round, combined with the increased participation of existing investors, signals a clear vote of confidence in Norsepower’s ability to deliver on its objectives. The new funding will help accelerate Norsepower’s scale of production and help to meet increasing global demand. It will also strengthen Norsepower’s product research & development, marketing, recruitment, and sizeable intellectual property portfolio.
In addition to Mirova, the other notable participants in the round include:
Youssef Belatar, Investment Director at Mirova, said, “We are thrilled to support Norsepower in their journey to empower the shipping industry towards reaching the goal of zero carbon emissions, and together play an active role in the environmental transition.”
Paula Laine, CEO at The Finnish Climate Fund (Ilmastorahasto), said, “The world needs to limit greenhouse gases as soon as possible to combat climate change, and decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors such as shipping will play a key role. Shipping faces international regulatory and public pressure to adopt more sustainable practices, and we recognise the importance of technology in tackling this challenge and Norsepower’s rotor sails are an immediately available solution, especially for emissions-intensive ocean tankers. A key factor in our decision-making is impact and Norsepower’s ability to cut CO2 emissions by 5-25 % or even more in good wind conditions.”
Iain Fergusson, a Board member of Norsepower and General Counsel of Climate Investments, added: “There’s a pressing need to facilitate more deployments and funnel investment into decarbonising shipping where, as Norsepower is demonstrating that innovation is already delivering meaningful fuel and emissions savings for global operators. We are delighted to expand our backing of Norsepower and look forward to driving further adoption, expansion, and impact.”
For further reading
About Norsepower
Norsepower Oy Ltd is a Finnish clean technology and engineering company pioneering modern auxiliary wind propulsion for the global maritime industry. The Norsepower Rotor SailTM has been used by customers for over eight years and has been proven as a lowmaintenance, easy to use, and reliable fuel saving technology, which is supporting the decarbonisation of the shipping industry.
Since its establishment in 2012, Norsepower has raised more than €40 million of funding and has now installed Norsepower Rotor SailsTM onboard eight vessels, including the latest installation on CLdN’s MV Delphine and upcoming installations on Alcyone, M/V Koryu, a MOL in-service Capesize Bulk Carrier and two LNG-powered, wind-assisted newbuilt CO₂ carriers for Northern Lights JV. Each installation has made significant reductions to fuel costs and emissions, confirmed by independent third-party verifiers such as ABB, NAPA, and Lloyd’s Register. Other shipowners, charterers, and shipyards have been convinced of the Norsepower Rotor SailTM benefits. They are taking steps, such as fleet-wide negotiations, to harness the technical and economic feasibility of Norsepower Rotor SailTM.
For more information on the Norsepower Rotor SailTM product, please visit: www.norsepower.com
Mirova
Mirova is an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers.
Portfolio management company – French Public Limited liability company
Regulated by AMF under n°GP 02-014
RCS Paris n°394 648 216
59, Avenue Pierre Mendes France – 75013 – Paris.
www.mirova.com
Natixis Investment Managers
Natixis Investment Managers is a subsidiary of Natixis.
Portfolio management company – French Public Limited liability company
RCS Paris n°453 952 681
43, Avenue Pierre Mendes France – 75013 – Paris.
www.im.natixis.com
This communication is for information only and is intended for investment service providers or other Professional Clients. The analyses and opinions referenced herein represent the subjective views of the author as referenced unless stated otherwise and are subject to change. There can be no assurance that developments will transpire as may be forecasted in this material.
Copyright © 2023 Natixis Investment Managers S.A. – All rights reserved
Norsepower Oy Ltd, the leading global provider of mechanical sails for large ships, has successfully secured 28 million euros in its latest Series C fundraising round. French asset manager Mirova, an affiliate of Natixis Investment Management dedicated to sustainable investment, led the fundraising. Additional participants in the round included The Finnish Climate Fund (Ilmastorahasto), OGCI Climate Investments, Nefco – The Nordic Green Bank, Tesi, and Power Fund III. With a focus on impact, these organisations have joined forces to enable Norsepower to scale up production and expand the reach of its fuel-saving and emissions-reducing technology.
On a mission to decarbonise the shipping industry, Norsepower is committed to harnessing the power of the wind for large ships. According to Norsepower, there are currently 30,000 vessels on the water today that can benefit from award-winning Norsepower Rotor SailsTM, which highlights the opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions across the global fleet by 80 megatons on an annual basis.
The Norsepower Rotor Sail™ is a modernised version of the Flettner rotor. The Norsepower Rotor Sail™ uses a minimal amount of the ship’s electric power to rotate cylinder-shaped rotors on the ship’s deck. Rotation together with wind generates powerful thrust – saving fuel and reducing emissions. The product has already been used by customers for over eight years and has 250,000 operating hours of verified performance data acquired from some of the world’s best-known shipping companies and charterers. This performance data includes installations in collaboration with customers including Bore, Sea-Cargo, Scandlines, Vale, CLdN, Nippon Marine, and Socatra who have selected Norsepower Rotor SailsTM for improving fuel efficiency and reducing the emissions of their shipping operations.
The data – which shows fuel consumption savings 5-25%, or even more - has been measured and analysed independently by Lloyd’s Register, one shipping’s leading providers of classification, compliance and consultancy services to the marine and offshore industries, as well as ABB, NAPA, Chalmers University of Technology and VTT.
Provided as a combination of equity financing and loans, the breadth and scale of the investment round, combined with the increased participation of existing investors, signals a clear vote of confidence in Norsepower’s ability to deliver on its objectives. The new funding will help accelerate Norsepower’s scale of production and help to meet increasing global demand. It will also strengthen Norsepower’s product research & development, marketing, recruitment, and sizeable intellectual property portfolio.
In addition to Mirova, the other notable participants in the round include:
- The Finnish Climate Fund (Ilmastorahasto): a Finnish state-owned special-assignment company combating climate change, boosting the low-carbon industry, and promoting related digitalisation.
- OGCI Climate Investments: an existing Norsepower investor. It has a portfolio of cutting-edge innovations that has already delivered over 30 million tons of capital efficient GHG emissions reduction
- Nefco – the Nordic Green Bank: an international financial institution, owned by the five Nordic countries, that accelerates the green transition by financing the initial scale-up of Nordic green solutions on global markets. To date, more than 600 Nordic growth companies have received financing from Nefco.
- Power Fund III: a 77 million euros fund by VNT Management with a focus on clean technology. Major investors include the European Investment Fund and Finnish institutions. Power Fund III is an existing investor in Norsepower.
- Tesi: Tesi is a Finnish state-owned investment company that invests in venture capital and private equity funds and directly in Finnish start-ups and growth companies. Tesi is also an existing investor in Norsepower.
Youssef Belatar, Investment Director at Mirova, said, “We are thrilled to support Norsepower in their journey to empower the shipping industry towards reaching the goal of zero carbon emissions, and together play an active role in the environmental transition.”
Paula Laine, CEO at The Finnish Climate Fund (Ilmastorahasto), said, “The world needs to limit greenhouse gases as soon as possible to combat climate change, and decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors such as shipping will play a key role. Shipping faces international regulatory and public pressure to adopt more sustainable practices, and we recognise the importance of technology in tackling this challenge and Norsepower’s rotor sails are an immediately available solution, especially for emissions-intensive ocean tankers. A key factor in our decision-making is impact and Norsepower’s ability to cut CO2 emissions by 5-25 % or even more in good wind conditions.”
Iain Fergusson, a Board member of Norsepower and General Counsel of Climate Investments, added: “There’s a pressing need to facilitate more deployments and funnel investment into decarbonising shipping where, as Norsepower is demonstrating that innovation is already delivering meaningful fuel and emissions savings for global operators. We are delighted to expand our backing of Norsepower and look forward to driving further adoption, expansion, and impact.”
For further reading
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Norsepower Oy Ltd is a Finnish clean technology and engineering company pioneering modern auxiliary wind propulsion for the global maritime industry. The Norsepower Rotor SailTM has been used by customers for over eight years and has been proven as a lowmaintenance, easy to use, and reliable fuel saving technology, which is supporting the decarbonisation of the shipping industry.
Since its establishment in 2012, Norsepower has raised more than €40 million of funding and has now installed Norsepower Rotor SailsTM onboard eight vessels, including the latest installation on CLdN’s MV Delphine and upcoming installations on Alcyone, M/V Koryu, a MOL in-service Capesize Bulk Carrier and two LNG-powered, wind-assisted newbuilt CO₂ carriers for Northern Lights JV. Each installation has made significant reductions to fuel costs and emissions, confirmed by independent third-party verifiers such as ABB, NAPA, and Lloyd’s Register. Other shipowners, charterers, and shipyards have been convinced of the Norsepower Rotor SailTM benefits. They are taking steps, such as fleet-wide negotiations, to harness the technical and economic feasibility of Norsepower Rotor SailTM.
For more information on the Norsepower Rotor SailTM product, please visit: www.norsepower.com
Mirova
Mirova is an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers.
Portfolio management company – French Public Limited liability company
Regulated by AMF under n°GP 02-014
RCS Paris n°394 648 216
59, Avenue Pierre Mendes France – 75013 – Paris.
www.mirova.com
Natixis Investment Managers
Natixis Investment Managers is a subsidiary of Natixis.
Portfolio management company – French Public Limited liability company
RCS Paris n°453 952 681
43, Avenue Pierre Mendes France – 75013 – Paris.
www.im.natixis.com
This communication is for information only and is intended for investment service providers or other Professional Clients. The analyses and opinions referenced herein represent the subjective views of the author as referenced unless stated otherwise and are subject to change. There can be no assurance that developments will transpire as may be forecasted in this material.
Copyright © 2023 Natixis Investment Managers S.A. – All rights reserved