sky sails

i was just skimming through a news item that mentioned that the first sky-sails equipped freighter has just returned to its home port in germany after having sailed to venezuela, the united states and norway. this is a promising development to a story that can be read in full here.

skysail’s claim that reductions in fuel consumption of up to 10- 35% can be achieved over the course of a year depending on wind conditions. they also claim that under optimal wind conditions, fuel consumption can temporarily be reduced by up to 50%. this apparently translates to savings around 280,000 euros annually, even on a small, 87 metre cargo ship. and of course the corollary savings to our environment in reduced emissions. "the shipping industry emits 800 million tonnes of co2 now and that will rise to over 1 billion tonnes in five years," says niels stolberg, a company rep.

each kite will cost about 500,000 euros, paying for itself over three years. the kite flies at around 300 meters in the sky where it it is filled with powerful ocean-driven winds.




to learn more about this very positive step in the right direction for the shipping industry you should visit the sky sails site.