Attaching giant kites to boats will help cut shipping emissions

The French company, Airseas, has promised to help cargo ships reduce fuel consumption, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by at a rate of 20%. And they do it with Seawing—A kite with an area of ​​1,000 square meters will fly 300 meters (984 feet) above the water. So the global shipping industry seems to be reinventing itself The joy (and efficiency) of the sails.

The large ship-sized kite is currently being developed, and the company plans to open a production plant Seewing In the year 2026. Once manufactured, Airseas promised that launching and operating the Seawing on a cargo ship would be automated, making it user-friendly for the ship’s crews. The kite and the equipment to launch it are mounted on the boat deck, and the crew can simply press a few buttons and A big kite will go up inside the sky. tHat doesn’t mean cargo ships won’t use their engines at all, but the kite will take some pressure on to Those engines will reduce the need for fuel. The wind will only move the ship As I have done for hundreds of years days before manufacturing.

Cutting emissions by 20% may not seem like a big deal, but moving massive amounts of cargo back and forth on the high seas creates 3% of the worldGreenhouse gas emissions. That’s more than the aviation industry, which produced about 2% of the world’s emissions in 2021. according International Energy Agency. Maritime transportation is also a huge industry, and one that is worth focusing on in order to reduce emissions. About 90% of the goods traded in the world are transported via cargo ships, according to the International Chamber of Shipping.

Some companies are betting that this new version of the sails. Japanese shipping company “K” Line places orders for Seawing kite, EU invests more than $2 million in funding CNN mentioned.

Watch this dramatic video of the giant kite in action:

Want more climate and environment stories? Check out Earther’s Guides to Decarbonize your homeAnd Divestment of fossil fuelsAnd Go bag packing is a disasterAnd Overcoming climatic dread. And don’t miss our coverage of The latest IPCC climate reportthe future of Carbon dioxide removalUn-greenwashed facts about Bioplastics And Plastic recycling.