Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

August 30, 2008 9:45:40 CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Kite Ship's Maiden Voyage a Success

Posted Mar 20, 08 8:58 PM CDT in Technology 

(Newser) – Environmental concerns might get shipping companies to go back to the future, Earth2Tech.com reports, after a cargo vessel recently used 20% less fuel than normal on a 12,000-mile journey by a kite-like sail. The EU contributed $1.9 million to help rig the Beluga SkySails with the 1,700-square-foot contraption, used on a trek from Germany to Venezuela, the US, and Norway.

The sail could enable cargo ships to go entirely to wind power—a la Christopher Columbus and others—under the right conditions, reducing carbon emissions and saving up to 30% on fuel costs, a savings of at least $1,000 per day, Earth2Tech notes. The Beluga SkySails' captain hailed the voyage as opening “a new chapter in the history of commercial shipping.”

Source Earth2Tech.com

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Go Sail a Kite, Across the Ocean

    Jan 22, 08 6:23 PM CST
    Go Sail a Kite, Across the Ocean A ship partially pulled by a huge kite is starting its journey across the Atlantic today. The cargo ship—sailing from Germany to Venezuela—will test a new strategy of cutting CO2 emissions from ships by equipping them with computer-controlled kites. At more than 1,700 square feet, the kite could cut the ship's fuel consumption by as much as 20%, the BBC reports. More »

The cargo ship 'MS Beluga Skysails' equipped with a computer controlled kite makes its way through the North Sea during a test run near Bremerhaven, northern Germany, in January.   (Getty Images)
The cargo ship 'MS Beluga Skysails' equipped with a computer controlled kite makes its way through the North Sea during a test run near Bremerhaven, northern Germany, in January.   (Getty Images)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 2)

Tags

carbon emissions  • fuel costs  • shipping  • wind power  • kites


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other Technology Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »