A rotor ship uses one or more Flettner rotors mounted upright. They are rotated by the ship's engines, and act like sails to propel the ship under wind power. A conventionally-powered underwater propeller may be provided for additional operational flexibility.
An early prototype, the Baden Baden (formerly the Buckau), crossed the Atlantic in 1925, but interest was not revived until energy saving became a major concern in the new millennium. The E-Ship 1 was launched in 2008, and new vessels continue to appear. Since then, multiple rotor installations have been completed, including tilting rotors to allow passage beneath bridges. Typically, rotor sails have been reported to generate 5-20% fuel savings.