EMEA News
French Marine Tech Start-up Extols Wind Power's Potential
French maritime start up Beyond the sea has joined other innovators with its promise to harness the power of wind and reduce shipping's carbon footprint.
The company has been trialling its SeaKite technology off the southwest French coast to show how the work of propulsion can be switched from fuel to wind with dividends to be had in lower fuel consumption.
SeaKite is aimed at the merchant marine, fishing boats and large yachts, according to the company's website. It works with an automated traction system that uses winches and artificial intelligence to make the most of the available wind.
According to the company, average fuel savings of 20% are possible if using the kit.
Having participated in the Wind for Goods exhibition in Saint-Nazaire at the start of June, the technology and a laboratory ship are due to embark on their first offshore sailing around Europe and across the Atlantic.
The emergence of wind as a credible alternative to fuel-driven propulsion has been steadily growing in significance with a number of products aimed at commercial shipping on the market.
And as the International Maritime Organisation has signalled its determination to reduce the size of the industry's carbon footprint that significance may grow.
As the IMO's greenhouse gas reduction strategy for shipping was adopted at MEPC80 last week, the Clean Shipping Coalition delegate pointed to wind as an abundant, emissions-free resource.
Shipping should stop its "silly talk" of being a hard to abate sector, the delegate told the meeting. The industry has "all the wind in the world that it is uniquely positioned to benefit from", the delegate said.
