While focusing on the local level, Kelen’s initiative is integral to a global effort by the Worldwide Maritime Group to drastically reduce carbon footprint from cargo transportation and reach internet zero emissions by 2050? Beyond these diminutive islands, much of the struggle to meet the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) ambitious targets centers on replacing traditional fossil fuels with alternative propulsion systems like ammonia, methane-powered engines, advanced nuclear reactors, and hydrogen fuel cells. The Marshallese people have traditionally harnessed the power of wind energy to sustain their daily lives.
Despite being just one possibility on the desk, it’s unlikely that the shipping industry will decarbonize rapidly enough to meet the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) targets without embracing innovative solutions like wind propulsion, according to a political anthropologist and creator of. As he reflects on the importance of timing, he emphasizes that wind’s impact is inextricably linked to the passage of time. Deploying wind energy on vessels could potentially reduce the transport trade’s carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 20%.
According to De Beukelaer, wind energy effectively mitigates two significant uncertainties: the volatility of gasoline prices and potential price fluctuations from a carbon-pricing scheme that the industry might implement. The IMO is expertise-agnostic, which means it sets targets and security requirements without specifying how they should be achieved, allowing the market to find the most effective methods. According to a representative of the group, wind propulsion is just one of several innovative approaches currently under consideration.
Vessels equipped with sails can rely entirely on wind power or use them in tandem with engines to reduce fuel consumption by significant margins, making them an attractive option for large bulk carriers, oil tankers, and roll-on/roll-off ships that transport aircraft and vehicles globally. Cargo sails for fashion-conscious individuals come in a diverse range of shapes, sizes, and types, including wings, rotors, suction sails, and kites.
“When you’ve accumulated over 5,500 years of collective knowledge, it’s hard to argue against the obvious benefits,” notes Gavin Allwright, secretary-general of the Worldwide Windship Association.
According to Allwright, older cargo boats retrofitted with new sails can harness up to 30% of their energy from wind propulsion, while specialized vessels designed for sailing can rely on it for as much as 80% of their needs.
“There are numerous variables at play,” he notes, citing factors like the size and type of ship, as well as the experience and decision-making skills of its captain. By October 2024, the fifty-first massive ship equipped with cutting-edge wind-capturing technology had begun its journey, paving the way for a predicted surge in maritime wind power by early 2026.
Laborious wings
One common design for cargo ships is a fixed sail, a sturdy, wing-like structure situated vertically atop the vessel.
At a glance, Niclas Dahl, managing director of the Swedish firm developing these innovative sails, observes, “It’s very much like an airplane wing.” Everyone has an essential and an epaulette, which generates a chamber where wind speed is faster on the surface than within. As a plane experiences the difference in air pressure between its upper and lower surfaces, the disparity typically creates drag, but according to Dahl, in this specific instance, it actually imparts momentum to propel the vessel forward. Although seemingly rigid, the wings are actually highly adaptable, frequently rotated and fine-tuned to capitalize on the wind’s direction, depending on the location; in proximity to a dock, however, they are usually stowed away and retracted near the deck of the ship.