The installation of rotor sails on SPIRIT OF TOULOUSE has now been completed. © LD Lines

World’s Largest wind-propelled RoRo now fitted with rotor sails

Ro-roLD Armateurs and Norsepower have completed the installation of six Norsepower Rotor Sails on board SPIRIT OF TOULOUSE, the lead vessel in a new fleet of three low-emission RoRo ships built for LD Armateurs (LDA) to support transport operations for Airbus.

The installation, carried out by the project team of the shipyard, Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group Co. Ltd., at a coastal outfitting site in Shanghai, makes SPIRIT OF TOULOUSE not only the largest RoRo vessel in the world to be equipped with wind-propulsion but also the vessel with the largest number of mechanical sails in the world.

The six rotor sails, each measuring 35 metre x 5 metre, are paired with two dual-fuel main engines complemented by two dual-fuel generator sets, capable of running on e-methanol, bio-methanol or marine diesel oil. Norsepower’s wind propulsion is designed to work in synergy with the vessel’s methanol propulsion system, reducing fuel consumption and improving efficiency across the voyage rather than acting as a stand-alone add-on.

SPIRIT OF TOULOUSE is the first of three sister ships — alongside SPIRIT OF MOBILE and SPIRIT OF MIRABEL - under charter to Airbus to move large aircraft sub-assemblies between the manufacturer’s production sites in Europe and North America.

Norsepower and LDA first announced their collaboration in early 2024. Construction began at the shipyard by October of that year, and the lead vessel was launched in February 2026.

“SPIRIT OF TOULOUSE is much more than a new vessel. It is a tangible demonstration of how the maritime industry can accelerate its transition by combining innovation, operational expertise, and strong industrial partnerships. Bringing together six rotor sails and dual-fuel methanol propulsion on a ship of this scale is a world first that illustrates LD Armateurs’ commitment to pioneering tangible solutions for lower-carbon shipping,"says Samira Draoua, CEO of LD Armateurs.

Samira Draoua is supplemented by Heikki Pöntynen, CEO of Norsepower:

“Completing installation of six Norsepower Rotor Sails on SPIRIT OF TOULOUSE is a significant milestone for wind propulsion in the RoRo segment. Working in synergy with the vessel’s dual-fuel methanol engines, the rotor sails give LD Armateurs a vessel designed to cut fuel consumption and emissions from her first voyage. We’re proud of how smoothly this project has moved from agreement to installation, and we look forward to seeing the technology proven out on the transatlantic route,” Pöntynen says.

okt 15 2026