https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-66543643
'A cargo ship fitted with giant, rigid British-designed sails has set out on
its maiden voyage.
Shipping firm Cargill, which has chartered the vessel, hopes the technology
will help the industry chart a course towards a greener future.
The WindWings sails are designed to cut fuel consumption and therefore
shipping's carbon footprint.
It is estimated the industry is responsible for about 2.1% of global carbon
dioxide (CO2) emissions.
The
Pyxis Ocean's maiden journey, from China to Brazil, will provide the
first real-world test of the WindWings - and an opportunity to assess whether a
return to the traditional way of propelling ships could be the way forward for
moving cargo at sea.
Folded down when the ship is in port, the wings are opened out when it is in
open water. They stand 123ft (37.5m) tall and are built of the same material as
wind turbines, to make them durable.
Enabling a vessel to be blown along by the wind, rather than rely solely on its
engine, could hopefully eventually reduce a cargo ship's lifetime emissions by
30%.
Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill Ocean Transportation, said the industry was
on a "journey to decarbonise". He admitted there was "no silver bullet" - but
said this technology demonstrated how fast things were changing.'
Via Rhysy and Kenny Chaffin.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
