It’s
been a hundred years or so since we’ve seen cargo ships propelled by
the wind, making their deliveries across our oceans. Thankfully, in
this time of environmentally friendly business operations (or at least,
some environmentally friendly business operations) the sails are being
unfurled once again, to help minimize the amount of fossil fuels consumed.
A
new design from German company Sky Sails will see the 10,000-ton
Beluga Skysail deploy a massive kite once it reaches a safe distance
from land. That kite is predicted to save some 10-15% off the heavy
fuels it would normally burn.
Crossing
from Bremen in Germany to Venezuela and back, the Beluga’s delivery is
the first commercial test of this design, and could very well paint a
picture of how it will look in the future. If it works, analysts
predict that we could soon see many of the largest cargo ships being
towed – at least partially – by these giant kites.
"This
is a serious attempt to reduce bunker [fuel] costs and polluting
emissions. The kite will be used whenever it is possible on the voyage,
and we are convinced it will revolutionize cargo shipping. We would
consider fitting them to all our ships," said Christine Bornkessel, a
spokeswoman for the Bremen-based Beluga shipping line, which has 52
merchant vessels.
The
Beluga’s maiden voyage’s assistance will be provided by a 160 sq meter
kite, which as mentioned is expected to cut fuel consumption by 10-15%.
However, in time, and dependent on a successful first voyage, kites
could increase in size and end up saving 30-35% on fuel usage. In fact,
kites could grow to as big as 5000 sq meters and are could
theoretically be able to tow large container ships.
The
shipping industry has definitely not been a friend to the environment,
using some of the most polluting fuels available, and doing little to
diminish their environmental footprint. Thankfully, this first step
towards a somewhat greener future is, at the very least, promising.
Posted by Josh Hill.
Links:
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/01/beluga_shipping.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/inDepthNews/idUSL1548100520071217?sp=true
http://www.skysails.info/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/02/travelandtransport.energyefficiency
It’s
been a hundred years or so since we’ve seen cargo ships propelled by
the wind, making their deliveries across our oceans. Thankfully, in
this time of environmentally friendly business operations (or at least,
some environmentally friendly business operations) the sails are being
unfurled once again, to help minimize the amount of fossil fuels consumed. 
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