Maritime Vessels with Clean Energy
A Revolution in Maritime Transport
Our primary attention in our quest to neutralize carbon emissions in the transport industry has always been on the road, and we have successfully developed technologies to achieve that. However, we seem to have neglected the fact that about 2% of the world’s carbon is produced by ships, the vast majority of which are container ships that carry 80% of the world’s trade. And the biggest challenge in the shipping industry has remained one thing: Fuel. Traditionally, the shipping industry has used horrible pollutive sludge-like fuel; with literally bottom-of-the-barrel quality. This type of fuel is cheap but incredibly dirty, releasing heavily polluting sulfur and nitrous oxides into the air. But that had to change.
When the Swiss company, PlanetSolar, launched its round-the-world trip with their first-ever solar-powered ship in 2010, people started to realize that it is possible to use this type of clean and renewable energy on water, as well as land and in the air.
MS Turanor PlanetSolar was the first solar-powered boat that sailed worldwide in 585 days, through Venice, Paris, London, and New York, without consuming any form of fossil fuel. All the energy required for the whole trip was provided by our only sun. 500 solar panels were installed on the top deck of MS Turanor to capture the sun’s rays and generate 120 kilowatts of energy. The boat could travel at an average speed of 5 knots (one knot equals one nautical mile per hour or roughly 1.15 statute mph).
After completing its 585-day adventure worldwide, the company donated the boat to the Race for Water Foundation. It has been used as a laboratory for scientific missions and to raise awareness about alternative energy solutions.
Nonetheless, the big question remains: How about bigger ships? Is it possible to use this type of energy to power huge cargo ships or even transport passengers from one city to another? Is mass production in this area practical, feasible, or profitable for companies to invest in?
The Challenge
Maersk, the world’s largest shipping company which holds 17.6% of the market, owns only 786 ships; 786 gigantic ships. The biggest ship in their fleet, the Triple E, is the same length as the Empire State building (approximately 400 meters), capable of hauling over 20,000 standard twenty-foot containers.
Obviously, installing enough photovoltaic panels on such huge ships to provide energy is not feasible. Numerous technologies are being developed to tackle this challenge. One fascinating shift we see in the industry is towards a return of wind power to offer additional thrust to these massive ships.
It is difficult to integrate wind power into modern ships. Shipping companies will not incorporate them if they take up too much space, which could be used for cargo. Moreover, designing them to allow for a timely ROI (Return on Investment) is difficult.
The Solution
One particular form of wind power, which is currently being tested, is the Flettner rotor. These rotors use the Magnus effect to generate thrust, which is the force experienced by a rotating object due to the deflected airflow around it. When presented with a crosswind, these rotors can provide a good deal of thrust for very little energy input. Modern composite materials have allowed rotors to be much lighter and thus, take less power to spin. According to Norsepower, their largest rotor can provide up to 3 megawatts of forwarding thrust for the input of just 90 kilowatts of electricity.
These rotors are simple in construction, which minimizes the costs, and they take up minimal space on the deck, which can minimize the loss of revenue for shipowners or shipping companies. Additionally, they can be easily retrofitted to many different types of ships. Plus, the rotors are controlled by a computer, which requires no input from the ship’s crew.
The Outlook
Even though these rotors are still in the testing phase, Maersk has claimed that this technology has already saved them 8.2% of their fuel each year. If that is repeatable and replicable, it will not be long before we see these devices fitted to more ships on routes with favorable prevailing winds. Of course, the wind is not going to power these ships on its own, and the industry will still depend on fuel consumption, but it is a start. More and more companies will be joining the movement soon as the International Maritime Organization has mandated that carbon and other emissions by ships need to be reduced.
The Market
The global container shipping market is sized at some 170 billion U.S. dollars. However, it is expected to surpass the value of 188.57 billion U.S. dollars in a couple of years. Maersk, the Danish company, remains the most powerful company in this market, with the world's largest container shipping line and vessel operator. Even though its stock experienced occasional daily changes and is prone to some volatility, it is usually traded at a good volume with minor daily fluctuations.
