Fully Wind-Optimized Tanker Concept Unveiled

Finland-based Bluetech has partnered with NYSE-listed INSW to develop Bluetech’s new ‘SeaWasp’ tanker vessel design, purpose-designed for wind but still practical for INSW MR fleet operations.

With the support of wind-propulsion specialist Norsepower, Bluetech modified its BT50 design to extract maximum forward thrust from two 35-metre Rotor Sails. This resulted in a total savings of up to 876kW of propulsion power on one representative INSW MR tanker route from San Francisco to South Korea – equating to around 597.2MT of fuel per annum.

The design modifications alone are estimated to contribute 104kW or 71.5 MT of the savings, effectively improving the vessel's overall performance by around 13.5% in certain conditions.

The project examined the lower end of the savings potential. For example, on a route from South Korea to Singapore, the SeaWasp saves 185.9MT or 275kW per annum versus a conventionally powered BT50, due to the prevailing wind directions. Keeping such a baseline allowed for a range in the data analysis and ensured that any commercial projections were realistic.

“On routes where wind propulsion offers limited advantage, the inherent efficiency of the vessel’s core design becomes paramount. The BT50 design is itself approximately 12% more efficient than the typical tanker