SkySails Bringing Wind Power Back to Shipping!
SkySails seeks to adapt advances in kite design and understanding to the merchant marine (and luxury yacht) fleets. As per SkySails founder, Stephan Wrage, "I thought the enormous power in kites could somehow be utilised."
The initial actual cargo ship, the 9,775 ton Beluga SkySails, is about to go on its maiden voyage. This looks real although this is been a long anticipated event. (It had been scheduled to launch this past summer.) The claimed expectation is that the system should cut fuel costs by 10-15 percent. The cost for that fuel efficiency: between $700,000-$3.5 million of capital investment per ship.
As per the SkySails site,
SkySails are wind propulsion systems for modern shipping. By using a SkySails system ship operation will become more profitable, safer and independent of declining oil reserves.
The planned product range contains towing kite propulsion systems with a nominal propulsion power of up to 5,000 kW (about 6,800 HP). On annual average fuel costs can be lowered between 10-35% depending on actual wind conditions and actual time deployed. Under optimal wind conditions, fuel consumptions can temporarily be reduced up to 50%.
At the current oil price a SkySails propulsion creates approx. just 1/3 of the cost of a conventional ship diesel.
The SkySail will go up to 300 meters above the ship to capture the stronger winds at altitude. This first kite is 160 square meters. The next two, for deployment on new Beluga ships in 2009, will be double that size (320 square meters), and the next generation will be 600 meters.
This could decrease costs (and emissions) dramatically, maybe to the tune of over 50 percent of the ships fuel requirements.