Described by the British weekly New Scientist like the “largest sailing container ship in the world”, l’Anemos arrived in New York on Tuesday, September 3, after its first Atlantic crossing. Having left Le Havre, in Seine-Maritime, on August 9, this 81-meter-long cargo sailboat, equipped with 3,000 m² of sails, aims to reduce the carbon footprint of a maritime transport industry that is too greedy for hydrocarbons.
The ship docked in the United States with its holds filled with bottles of cognac and champagne, “a cargo that should be part of a memorable celebration upon its arrival,” observe Futurism, American media specializing in new technologies.
“We have known for centuries that there is a lot of wind on the high seas and we have maps. But today, thanks to satellite communications and routing [météorologique]the wind is also predictable, making it a reliable means of propulsion,” says Guillaume Le Grand, president and founder of TransOceanic Wind Transport (TOWT), the French company that operates Anemos (“wind” in Greek), quoted by New Scientist.
Built by the Piriou shipyards in Concarneau, the ship deploys its sails using an automated system, inspired by racing yachts, the scientific journal continues. According to TOWT, it can transport 1 tonne of goods while producing only 2 grams of CO2 per kilometer, ten times less than a standard container ship. Powered primarily by wind, the ship can reach speeds of over 19 km/h, or even more in favorable conditions under the North Atlantic trade winds, according to Guillaume Le Grand. It is also equipped with two thermal engines used during approaches.
Decarbonizing maritime transport
“This vessel is the first of a planned fleet of eight units, with the ambition of transporting 200,000 tonnes of goods per year with 40,000 tonnes less carbon emissions,” continues the New Scientist. But the overall impact of wind-powered ships remains difficult to quantify. Hidden costs associated with the technology and a lack of standardized criteria for assessing fuel savings make it difficult to assess, according to a report by Lloyd’s Register, a U.K.-based marine services company cited by the newspaper.
[…] - Courrier international
