French company Air Seas has developed a new technology that helps cargo ships reduce fuel consumption and cut carbon emissions by 20 percent.
The technology, called “Sea Wing”, applies the principle of using wind energy to propel a giant kite, which flies 300 meters above the water to give the ships attached to it an additional boost.
Two engineers at the company came up with the idea in 2016, and it is currently being tested on cargo ships traveling between France and the United States.
Cargo ships account for about 3 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
Company director Vincent Bernatits said alternative fuels, such as green ammonia, are in development but are expensive, and “it will take decades before the infrastructure is ready for widespread deployment”.
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“In the meantime, what can we do? This is where the use of wind is critical.”
“We really want to contribute to reducing freighter emissions,” says Bernatits. “We are absolutely convinced that wind is really the next big thing that could revolutionize shipping.”
The kite is very similar to a glider, and it is launched via a collapsible mast, and its flight is controlled by an autopilot program that operates from a box below the kite, which in turn is connected to the ship.
The company has received 2.5 million euros ($2.7 million) in funding from the European Union, says it has already secured orders from Airbus and Japanese shipping company K-Line, and hopes the technology will be fully operational by the end of 2025.
But Lecturer in Mechanical and Marine Engineering Design at the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom, Richard Pemberton, says that there is a problem with this technology lies in the instability of wind speed and directions.
“The biggest challenge is getting the technology accepted,” Pemberton believes. “I’m 100 percent sure it will reduce emissions significantly, but will it be widely adopted, given of course that high oil prices encourage the use of wind energy.”
2023-07-01 17:48:11
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