The Ville de Bordeaux, chartered by Airbus and owned and operated by Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, is the first to be equipped with the Seawing system. It is a real giant kitesurf that pulls the ship thanks to the wind.
Ships with kites save energy
The French company Airseas has created (in the end this is what it is about) a large sail that flies in the sky. Seawing is 300 square meters (1.000 square feet) large and can fly up to 300 meters high. The wind allows the ship to "kitesurf" in a simple and immediate way: the sail is activated with the simple press of a button, and the crew needs minimal training to manage it.
How ship kitesurfing works
When it comes to kitesurfing the sky's the limit. Seawing's wing automatically adapts to the direction and speed of the wind, as well as the speed and course of the boat. This improves performance by lowering engine effort. Airseas expects the Seawing system it will lead to a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Airseas has big plans for Seawing, the marine propulsion system. The company wants to implement this kitesurfing on 10% of the global fleet already this decade.
“I'm proud to see that vision become a reality, with our first Seawing poised to make a tangible difference for our planet,” says Vincent Bernatets, CEO and co-founder of Airseas.
An important return of the wind in naval transport is expected
This first installation of “kitesurfing” on a commercial vessel marks a significant milestone not only for Airseas, but also for wind and other renewable propulsion technologies in general. Given the urgency of the climate crisis, the world needs to see a dramatic reduction in climate change now carbon emissions. Wind propulsion is an essential solution in helping shipping achieve the necessary transition to decarbonization.
Even at the "cost" of having a ship kitesurf.
