Move Boats with Kites
- Posted by drigotti on December 19th, 2007 filed in Energy, Transportation
Skysails, a company that makes HUGE kites, hope they will be moving some pretty big ships. The website states that by using SkySails, a ship‘s fuel costs can be reduced by 10- 35% on annual average, depending on wind conditions. Under optimal wind conditions, fuel consumption can temporarily be reduced by up to 50%. Even on a small, 87 metre cargo ship, savings of up to 280,000 euros can be made annually.
And it’s already a reality. According to a news release:
On Saturday, 15 December 2007, the Multi Purpose Heavy Lift Carrier MS “Beluga SkySails” was ceremonially christened at the “Landungsbrücken/Überseebrücke” in Hamburg. All components of the SkySails-System have been installed on deck. The cargo vessel can now “set sail” for the very first time – starting with a towing kite of 160 square meters in size.
I’ve been on the ocean and I remember how windy it was. This is a pretty cool product and I hope it’s economically viable for companies to purchase.
Skysails competes with Kiteship, a company that seems to be more established with their list of firsts.
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