https://reasonstobecheerful.world/wind-power-sustainable-shipping/
"For centuries, tall sailing ships quietly navigated the planet’s waterways,
trading and delivering needed goods. Powered by wind, this sustainable mode of
transportation endured until the advent of fossil fuels in the late 19th and
early 20th centuries transformed global shipping. Today, propelled by oil and
gas, behemoth cargo ships criss-cross oceans, transporting billions of products
everyday and generating roughly three percent of global greenhouse gas
emissions.
It was against this backdrop that Eileen Banyra, owner and founder of Hudson
Soil Company in Kerhonkson, New York, came up with a unique way of delivering
her organic compost to customers. Echoing the bygone legacy of those long-lost
sailing ships of yesteryear, the
Apollonia, a 64-foot-long schooner, works
with local producers, including Banyra, to deliver goods to communities along
or close to the Hudson River.
“This was the way things used to travel. They used to go by ship, they used to
go up the river on barges,” Banyra says. “The cool thing about the
Apollonia
is they really sail, they don’t turn their engines on at all.”
The
Apollonia is not alone. Around the world, sailing ships and wind-assisted
ships are being reimagined as a carbon-neutral alternative to conventional
fossil fuel-reliant cargo ships. Starting in the summer of 2025, the
Apollonia will not just carry the goods of small-scale producers and artisans
to local customers, but upon arrival in New York harbor will transfer its cargo
to the 170-foot
Grain de Sail II for transport across the Atlantic Ocean to
Europe. Founded in 2010 in Morlaix, France, by brothers Olivier and Jacques
Barreau, Grain de Sail’s vision was to craft exceptional chocolates and coffees
while minimizing environmental impact. At the heart of this vision was an
ambitious goal: to build and operate the world’s first modern cargo sailboat.
The company currently has two ships:
Grain de Sail I, with a payload capacity
of 50 tons, travels at eight knots and is able to carry 26 pallets of
approximately four feet by three feet. The larger
Grain de Sail II is faster,
at between 12 and 13 knots, and can carry over 200 pallets. Nowadays the ships
carry much more than just chocolates and coffee. The company has a steady
stream of customers from a variety of sectors including the wine, fashion and
cosmetic industries. Both ships sail between Europe, the Americas and the
Caribbean, with transatlantic crossings taking approximately 18 to 20 days.
This is roughly how long a container ship traveling from Rio de Janeiro to
Lisbon, for example, will take to make the crossing.
“The unique selling point of Grain de Sail is its commitment to reducing carbon
emissions and promoting sustainable transportation,” says Stefan Gallard,
marketing director for the company. “Our objective is to avoid using the engine
completely, but for safety reasons and port maneuvering we do have an engine.”
By leveraging the power of wind, the vessels reduce CO₂ emissions by 90 percent
compared to conventional maritime freight."
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
