As the shipping industry endeavours to conserve expensive fossil fuels, cargo ship designers are now turning to the oldest source of power there is: the wind – but can the power of the past move the shipping fleets of the future? Wind power could be making a radical comeback within the shipping industry. A drive for fuel efficiency and new forms of marine propulsion is … [Read more...]
Dry bulk carrier to be world’s largest kite-powered ship
In the first quarter of 2012, the dry bulk cargo vessel Aghia Marina will be equipped with a 320 square meter Skysail. At 170 meters long and a dwt of 28,500 tons, the Agia Marina will be the largest vessel ever to be equipped with the wind propulsion technology patented by the Hamburg-based company SkySails GmbH. The Skysail installation is part of an agreement by Cargill, … [Read more...]
‘M/V Beluga Nomination’ pirated in Indian Ocean
After 4 days of uncertainty regarding the exact status of the crew, MV Beluga Nomination is now believed to be pirated. On the afternoon of 22 January 2011, the MV Beluga Nomination was attacked by a skiff, with an unknown number of suspected pirates on board. Small arms were used against the vessel during the attack. The attack took place in the Indian Ocean, 390 … [Read more...]
SkySails Enters The SuperYacht Market
The Ocean Empire LSV (life support vessel) is a 44m Solar Hybrid Superyacht with 2 Hydroponic farms, fishing facilities to harvest the sea and the potentially the first super-yacht to use Skysails technology. Her solar powered propulsion systems and all the Hotel amenities of a luxury global voyager are supplied by harnessing 3 major sources of sustainable of energy. The … [Read more...]
Skysails – Plus – Top 10 Green Ship Designs
From the gCaptain Archives: In honor of the EPA's Pollution Week, let's take a look at an archived post on Skysails. But first, here is a brief update into the current state of affairs provided by Skysails: Within the framework of the pilot phase, the SkySails-System is being explored on board the MS "Michael A." and the MS "Beluga SkySails" during regular shipping … [Read more...]