It is not about perpetual motion. It is about capturing the green energy that surrounds every vessel on every voyage -- energy that is currently wasted on every crossing.
The maritime industry faces mounting pressure to cut emissions and rising fuel costs simultaneously. Vessel operators need solutions that reduce both without compromising operational efficiency or cargo capacity.
H Nordic VAWTs mount directly to the vessel's existing structure. They are compact, low-profile, and light enough -- at approximately 800 kg per unit -- to be positioned across multiple locations on deck, including positions inaccessible to larger rotor systems. No drydock is required for installation.
The system generates electricity from 2 m/s wind speed onward, routing power directly from the DC generator through a DC/DC converter to integrated battery storage. It operates continuously and autonomously, compatible with the vessel's existing DC bus architecture.
Effective airflow over deck at 3 m/s ambient wind -- vessel geometry and motion multiply available wind energy significantly.
Cut-in speed -- DC-direct storage means generation begins well before rated wind conditions.
Typical commercial operating hours per year -- the basis for all fuel savings calculations.
Payback period for a four-turbine 100 kW configuration at prevailing fuel costs.
The venturi effect
A vessel moving through open water creates its own wind field. At 3 m/s ambient wind, the airflow over the ship's superstructure and deck accelerates to an effective 9 m/s or more depending on vessel geometry and turbine placement. A vessel cruising at 10 knots adds a further 4 to 7 m/s wind factor.
Strategic turbine placement exploits this directly. The additional aerodynamic effect also disrupts vortex-driven wind resistance around the vessel, reducing the energy required for propulsion -- a fuel saving contribution that is separate from, and additional to, direct electricity generation.
Fuel savings
The table below uses conservative assumptions: 6,500 operating hours per year, standard diesel consumption of 0.295 kg/kWh, and fuel costs between USD 700 and 1,000 per tonne. A 10--30% wake and shadow reduction is applied for realistic multi-turbine layouts.
4 × 50 kW turbines -- ~390,000 kWh annual production, ~115 t diesel saved per year.
4 × 100 kW turbines -- ~780,000 kWh annual production, ~230 t diesel saved per year.
8 × 100 kW turbines -- ~1,560,000 kWh annual production, ~460 t diesel saved per year.
These figures cover direct electricity generation only. Aerodynamic drag reduction contributes additional fuel savings not captured above.
Standard configuration with 215 kWh integrated battery storage. Approximately 800 kg per unit. DC-direct architecture with 2 m/s cut-in speed. Suited to smaller vessels and supplementary installations on larger ones.
Extended configuration with 430 kWh integrated battery storage. Approximately 800 kg per unit. Reference configuration for vessel assessments. Scalable from 4 to 8+ units per vessel depending on deck layout.
In 2011, Stena Line installed two 4 kW turbines on the Stena Jutlandica and calculated fuel savings of 80 to 90 tonnes per year. That figure is far larger than direct electrical output from 4 kW turbines could explain. The most credible explanation is that the turbines disrupted vortex airflows around the vessel, reducing aerodynamic drag and lowering propulsion energy requirements.
H Nordic turbines in the 50 to 100 kW range are substantially larger, produce more electricity, and exert a proportionally greater effect on the airflow envelope around the vessel. Total fuel savings -- combining electricity production with aerodynamic drag reduction -- can be expected to exceed the figures in the table above.
Tell us your vessel type, route, and operating hours -- we will produce a preliminary fuel savings estimate within five working days.
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