Friday, August 31, 2012

New cargo ship design combines bio-gas engines and wind power

According to the New York Times, if the shipping sector were a nation, it would be the 6th largest polluter in terms greenhouse gas emissions. To move away from fossil fuels, the ship design industry is turning to a tried and true energy source for smaller-sized cargo ships – the wind.

The new vessels, all mostly in the prototype stage, are largely powered by wind and a biogas engine. The wind would serve to supplement the ship's engine. Since large container ships sail faster than 15 knots and need deck space for cargo, wind is not practical for them. But the wind/biogas combination is a good match for smaller, slower ships - those in the range of 3,000 to 10,000 tons - which accounts for 10,000 vessels, or 20 percent of the world's total cargo ships, and are a key link in the global supply chain.

Effective this month, ships that constellate this continent are mandated to burn low-sulfur oil, 60 percent costlier than bunker fuel. The United Nations' International Maritime Organization is also phasing in new restrictions on gas emissions by commercial ships.

Last spring, the University of Tokyo unveiled the UT Wind Challenger at the Sea Japan trade show. The ship has nine masts, each 164 feet tall, with five rigid sails made of aluminum and fiber-reinforced plastic. The sails are hollow, designed to telescope into one another in rough weather or at anchor.

Another model is the 328-foot, 3,000-ton cargo carrier being designed by B9 Shipping in Northern Ireland. It has three masts that soar to 180 feet. Powered by a combination of wind and a Rolls-Royce biogas engine, it will operate with no fossil fuels.

"There are a number of projects looking at the use of wind as a power source for shipping," said Craig Eason, technology editor at Lloyd's List. "Whether these projects will prove to be successful business ventures remains a question."

For more of the New York Times story: nytimes.com

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