We have just learned that the maritime transport sector wants to revolutionize the way goods are transported from continent to continent. The curious thing is that the method they are employing is over 2,000 years old.
The French company Airseas has promised to help cargo vessels reduce their fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 20%.
And they do so with the Seawing, a 1,000-square-meter kite that will fly 300 meters above the water surface. It seems that the global shipping industry is rediscovering the pleasure (and effectiveness) of sails.
The large kite, the size of a ship, is currently in the development phase, and the company plans to open a factory to produce the Seawing in 2026.
Once manufactured, Airseas has promised that the launching and operation of a Seawing on a cargo vessel will be automated, making it easier for the crews to use.
The kite and the launching equipment are assembled on the ship’s deck, and the crew only needs to press a few buttons for the large kite to ascend into the sky.
Sails on ships… are we back to the 15th century?
This doesn’t mean that cargo ships won’t use their engines, but the kite will alleviate pressure and reduce the need for fuel. The wind will propel the ship, as it did for hundreds of years before industrialization.
Reducing emissions by 20% may not seem like a significant amount, but the transportation of large quantities of goods at sea accounts for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
That’s more than the aerospace industry, which accounted for around 2% of global emissions in 2021, according to the International Energy Agency. Maritime transportation is also a significant sector worth focusing on to reduce emissions.
Around 90% of globally traded goods are moved by sea transport, according to the International Chamber of Shipping.
Some companies are embracing this new version of sails. Japanese shipping company “K” Line has placed orders for the Seawing kite, and the European Union has also invested over $2 million in funding, as reported by CNN.
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