Hybrid Technology
Apr. 3rd, 2008 12:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
akirluThanks to one of the Kos diaries, I find that the shipping industry has entered a new Age of Sail. Hamburg firm SkySails has collaborated with The Beluga Group to launch a hybrid freighter that draws a portion of its power from wind. Once at sea, the freighter lofts what looks like a big-ass parasail -- what they call a towing kite -- and the kite then helps pull the ship along. They're claiming up to 20% of motive power can be drawn from wind.
At first blush, this looks big. Freighters run on standard diesel and as such are a major source of the atmospheric carbon load. Reducing the usage by leveraging wind would certainly be a step in the right direction. And since using the sail cuts fuel costs, you'd think that other shippers would be eager to hybridize too.
At first blush, this looks big. Freighters run on standard diesel and as such are a major source of the atmospheric carbon load. Reducing the usage by leveraging wind would certainly be a step in the right direction. And since using the sail cuts fuel costs, you'd think that other shippers would be eager to hybridize too.
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