Lomar Shipping Looks to Kites to Help Lower Emissions

Lomar Shipping’s corporate venture lab, lomarlabs, has entered into a groundbreaking collaboration with maritime deep-tech start-up CargoKite to develop a revolutionary new class of micro ships that will leverage large kite systems as their primary propulsion and cutting-edge AI for autonomous operation.

The new ship design aims to facilitate low or zero-emission transportation, offering the added advantage of operating in more challenging and niche trades at any time. The vessel’s proprietary, AI-powered route planner will calculate optimal routes and determine estimated arrival times based on real-time weather conditions.

“This radical new ship type has the potential to reframe the way port and maritime logistics are organized,” said Stylianos Papageorgiou, Managing Director of lomarlabs. “It brings a paradigm shift to operations, which is only now becoming possible thanks to advances made in automation technologies. In addition, it promises to be a groundbreaking decarbonization solution for shipping.”

CargoKite, a spin-off from Munich’s Technical University, will enhance its technology through this collaboration with lomarlabs. The first ships are scheduled to launch in 2027.

“This collaboration provides CargoKite with direct access to a leading, climate-conscious shipowner, and aims to accelerate the full-scale build of our CargoKite vessels,” said Marcus Bischoff, Co-Founder & CTO of CargoKite. “The Lomar and lomarlabs teams deliver expertise in all aspects of ship ownership, construction, and operations, combined with the vision we share for building sustainable shipping technology of the future. This collaboration aims to develop sea transport that is not only 100% emission-free but also supports the goals of modern supply chains: customization, just-in-time delivery, full transparency, and cost savings.”

The global shipping industry is crucial to world economies and must play a role in the green transition by addressing its own emissions. While ship owners and operators worldwide are working towards improved efficiencies and cleaner fuels, these actions alone are unlikely to meet the emissions reduction targets set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Lomar CEO Nicholas Georgiou emphasized that ship owners and operators need to seek out new solutions beyond the currently available technologies in order to meet ambitious regulatory targets cost-effectively. “This collaboration aims at offering a new generation of seaborne transportation, playing a crucial role in the challenging task of decarbonizing maritime operations. It’s yet another example of our commitment to advancing innovative technology,” he said.

CargoKite’s latest prototype has already demonstrated its technology in a real environment. In 2023, the company developed a Proof of Concept with a nine-meter catamaran equipped with a kite system and proprietary hydrofoils, successfully showcasing the novel interaction of known technologies and underlining CargoKite’s potential to disrupt the shipping industry positively. Moving forward, CargoKite is now in the design phase of its full-size, first-of-its-kind vessel and the construction of its demonstrator prototype.