A startup wants to build the “Tesla de los Barco”. His revolutionary idea is to put candles

Transport electrification and the search for alternatives to traditional combustion are priorities for many countries. While Europe and China They bet on him electric car and aviation explores more sustainable fuelsmaritime transport of merchandise continues to depend almost completely on diesel. Although the most Of world trade, it is rarely mentioned in the conversation about sustainability. However, a company is already working on changing this

And that solution is an millenary technology: candles.

Pollution. To meet the tremendous commercial volume we need at the moment, we use huge boring ships. And, although the focus is put on other forms of transport, the maritime is a significant source of pollution. HE esteem that the sector produces 3% of global CO₂ emissions and other particles that contribute to global warming.

Specifically, it is responsible for 15% of nitrogen oxides emissions -Nox- and 13% of sulfur oxides -sox- that humanity produces. He guilty It is the fuel used, with high amounts of sulfur and heavy metals, but the regulations allow ships contaminate up to 500 times more than land vehicles.

At full sail. Therefore, measures are being implemented to mitigate the polluting impact Of the great ships such as speed reduction, more respectful fuels either systems carbon capture within the ships themselves. But there are also those who are exploring other ways. Show this is the Yara Birkeland boat That not only works thanks to a cover full of solar panels, but does it autonomously.

Another example is a design of the British company Windship Technology that bets on technology thousands of years ago: candle. Or a kind of candle.

The ‘Tesla de los Mares’. Presented A few years ago, the True Zero Issation is a ship or propulsion project that allows the CO2, NOX and SOX to eliminate, as well as any other polluting particle, of the navigation equation. The idea of ​​the company is for the ship to work with a diesel-electric energy system and, to ensure that there are no emissions, carbon captors would be installed.

In addition, the helmet would be optimized to offer the lowest possible resistance to water and would have software that draws the best possible route taking into account variables such as weather forecast, distance, currents and the state of the sea. But it is clear that what attracts the most attention is the candle system.

21st century candles. Unlike traditional candles, which generate wind resistance to propel the ship in the opposite direction to that current, the Windship design consists of several masts with three wings that what they are looking for is to attract the wind to, next to the electric motor, optimize the movement of the ship.

Each of these platforms can be up to 48 meters high, something that adjusts depending on the size of the ship and is mobile, oriented to take advantage of the currents.

Challenges. At the moment, there is no ship designed with this base system, and it is not something that seems simple. The reason is that the boring ships have their load surface, precisely on the deck. Except for Roro shipsdesigned as large covered garages, the containers transport their load on the deck, which raises a challenge: the candles would occupy valuable space and could interfere with the port operations.

From Windship already comments that the structure of the mast can be folded to facilitate maneuver and that its useful life is greater than 25 years, but it is clear that it is an added challenge for ship designers. For now, who has interested For technology is DNV, an insurance organization in segments such as oil, energy or maritime industry.

Superyates. Although these large load ships are heavyweights in naval pollution, where a system like the one that Windship poses in luxury yachts can have more future. David Barrow is the Windship technology director and Comment that, although the strictest regulations have not yet affected the superyates, with the environmental objectives marked By 2050, it is possible that these vessels are also wrapped in the restrictions.

Being much lighter than the large charges, a yacht of about 70 meters with three masts of 35 meters each could reach the same speed that current engines provide. That, of course, would lead a redesign in the construction plans so that they are more “dynamic and with better stability.

Traditional sailboats. The Windship solution is evident that it is avant -garde, but there is another company that literally bets on candles. By sailboats to transport merchandise, specifically. It’s about Towta French company that completed a pilot trip with its ship a few months ago Anemosa sailboat with carbon fiber masts, traditional candles that are deployed by remote control and two diesel-electric motors.

Anemos is the first of a projected fleet of eight vessels that, according to Towt’s calculations, would transport 200,000 tons of merchandise every year, saving with its impulse to candles about 40,000 tons in CO₂ emissions.

In the end, to candles or not, it is evident that manufacturers should look for alternatives to current fuels if they want to adjust to restrictions based on achieving the decarbonization objectives. And it would be curious to see non -competitive ships driven thanks to new generation candles.

Images | Towt, Windship

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