Environmental Valuation & Cost-Benefit News

A newly built cargo vessel was towed by the innovative wind propulsion of the Hamburg-based company SkySails on the North Sea near Bremerhaven, Germany for the first time in January 2008. The 160m2 SkySails supported the main engine of the 132m long Multi Purpose Heavy Lift Carrier MS “Beluga SkySails” of the Bremen-based Beluga Shipping with approximately five tons tractive force at low wind.

The shipping company and the manufacturer calculate that by using the towing kite system, a ship’s average annual fuel costs can be reduced by 10 to 35%, depending on the prevailing wind conditions. Under optimal wind conditions, SkySails estimates that fuel consumption can temporarily be cut by up to 50%. The first true test results are to be expected in the next few months.

The SkySails System is the only sail system to date that can be used in commercial shipping without restricting ship operation.

Of all known concepts for effective and sustainable alternative propulsion of merchant vessels, SkySails offers numerous advantages:
* no masts on deck which may obstruct loading and unloading,
* no restriction of storage space on board,
* no risk to the crew, cargo or ship, as well as simple handling and high reliability.

The main engine load and thus fuel consumption can be reduced by harnessing wind energy with the use of the towing kite - the Bremen-based company Beluga Shipping expects 10 to 15 percent less bunker consumption during the initial phase of operation.

This enterprise, which will cost approximately four million Euros in total, is funded by the EU with 1.2 million Euros in the framework of the WINTECC project.

The MV “Beluga SkySails” is equipped with a kite of 160 square meters in size. In 2008 the sail will be scaled up to 320 square metres. The Hamburg-based manufacturer SkySails then expects a savings potential of between 20 and 30 per cent.

Beluga Shipping GmbH initially reckons a reduction of the current bunker costs in the low four-digit US dollar range per operating day of the towing kite system. According to the shipping company, part of the savings will be passed on to the ship’s crew to enhance motivation.

Two larger project carriers of the Beluga P1-series that are currently under construction and which are to be equipped with SkySails Systems in the near future, will use kites with a sail area of up to 600 square metres.

Consequently and based on present-day knowledge, fuel savings of up to ten tons per day could be generated. This corresponds to a reduction of the daily bunker costs by approximately 6,000 US dollars.

With its maiden voyage transporting project cargo from Bremen to Venezuela, the MV “Beluga SkySails” opens up a new chapter in the history of shipping. The first newly built vessel with a SkySails System will be the practical demonstration of an innovative hybrid propulsion system that cuts ship operating costs and simultaneously reduces climate-damaging emissions.

For more information see:
www.wintecc.de
www.beluga-group.com
www.skysails.de
www.oceanwaves.de and
www.aldebaran.org

A recent report commissioned by the U.N. International Maritime Organization found that ship-related emissions, at 3.5 percent of global carbon emissions, were significantly underestimated and nearly double than previous estimates of 1.4 percent. Carbon emissions could rise another 30 percent by 2030 because of predicted increases in world seaborne trade. The industry is responsible for shipping more than 90 percent of traded goods by volume, according to Reuters.
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Cargo ships can produce smog-forming emissions equal to 350,000 new cars, according to environmental group Friends of the Earth.
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A recent study from Energy Futures found that U.S. container ports are among the biggest sources of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in the country because (1) ports are traditionally located near densely populated coastal settings, (2) containers and big rigs trucks using the ports use diesel and a main fuel source and (3) prevailing winds sweep fumes and pollutants

http://www.wintecc.de/news_en.html
www.skysails.de
http://www.climatebiz.com/sections/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55596
Press Releases December 15, 2007 and January 18th, 2008.