Capturing the Zeitgeist of Sustainability in the Maritime Sector
Plans are afoot to bring back the use of wind power to transport goods across the Atlantic Ocean. The French company involved is planning to carry cargo emission-free with the new generation of vessel using technology inspired by elite yacht racing.
The first of this kind to be adapted to carrying freight is expected to be up and sailing by 2026, after securing $40 million in initial funding in 2024.
In the coming Autumn, the first ship is expected to set sail to the United States, after having the parts built in Australia, and then assembled in the Philippines.
Current opinion suggests that it will be faster than traditional sea-borne methods and will also compare positively with the transportation of cargo by air, being cheaper and obviously more carbon efficient.
The first ships plan to carry 500 pallets of cargo, at an average speed of 14 knots given good prevailing conditions. It is anticipated, including loading, unloading and customs regulations to take 13 days per voyage. Targeted is an annual capacity of 48 000 tons of goods.
Successive builds will mean four additional vessels could be built by 2028 and one departure per week from Normandy or Bordeaux to New Jersey is the target once these initial boats are in service.
The aim is to be a reliable transatlantic shipper, but there are ideas to open new routes across all the worlds’ oceans, in the long-term.
On October 14th the pioneers of these ideas stated that each trimaran will have Coolsafe refrigeration technology allowing for seven temperature-controlled holds within the vessels. These holds will draw power from 240 square meters of solar panels on board.
There will be bio-fuel back-ups on board since sensitive goods, pharmaceuticals for example need a cold chain climate to remain marketable. This will enable shippers to avoid compromising product integrity, delivery time and environmental responsibility.
Goods that have been selected for the first run are pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, wines and spirits with less of a luxurious product type expected to be chosen in the longer term.
With the reduction in carbon emissions being obviously a main aim, cuts in leakages and spillages will be a factor brought about by the 99% reduction in carbon footprint providing protection for marine habitats as well.
The vessels themselves are trimarans in design since these are faster, wider and can accommodate more cargo. They can take more sails and are more stable than monohulls. The hull is made of aluminium while the masts are made from carbon-fibre. Both these materials have been chosen for their lightweight nature and durability.
Maritime careers and sheer numbers of jobs made available by this change in design is fairly uncertain since one of these trimarans would probably require just eight seamen of varying levels of expertise. The boats will have an advanced weather-routing system that will allow the crew to predict upcoming weather and chart the most effective route.
It is possible that automation in this sector will mean that the number of crew required may become even fewer as the key objectives faced by the modern shipping industry are targeted and achieved.
