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Cargo ships are currently burning the dirtiest fuels available -- so-called bunker fuel. Regulation is finally forcing a degree of cleanup by 2020, limiting su
by dzdt 8y ago
Cargo ships are currently burning the dirtiest fuels available -- so-called bunker fuel. Regulation is finally forcing a degree of cleanup by 2020, limiting sulfer emmissions.
Cargo shipping is ruthlessly cost-competitive, and fuel is currently 50-60% of costs. [1] With the new regulations that percent will increase.
Still it is telling the rotor sail in the example is on a passenger ship (where it has more PR value) not a cargo ship. That says to me the cost savings are really not there yet. Probably even stronger clean shipping rules are required before this kind of thing will be cost effective.
[1] https://www.morethanshipping.com/fuel-costs-ocean-shipping/ https://www.morethanshipping.com/fuel-costs-ocean-shipping/
- Retric 8y agoMany cargo ships are open topped to speed up loading an unloading. Others have lids, but then put stuff above those lids again making large structures above deck difficult.
- chiefalchemist 8y ago> "Cargo shipping is ruthlessly cost-competitive, and fuel is currently 50-60% of costs. [1] With the new regulations that percent will increase" - Yes. Ultimately increasing the cost of the goods shipped. -(Relatively) inexpensive shipping / transport is the foundation of the global economy. It's also its Achilles' heel. Even if currently a financial break even, these sails seem like a smart hedge going forward. The eco benefit being the bonus round.
- contingencies 8y agoBack in about 2009 my brother's urban design firm in London handled a European Union funded rethink of IIRC Falmouth, which is a port in Cornwall. He explained that under EU regulations that was the last port that trans-atlantic ships were allowed to dock at to pump out bunker fuel and replace with EU-acceptable fuels for the transit further east along the channel.
- mitchty 8y agoThis has already been done for cargo craft. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Ship_1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Ship_1
- agumonkey 8y agoWould it stop absurd transportation of goods like exotic fruits all year long ? If people stopped buying things from far away that aren't really really necessary, maybe that will also reduce fuel use.
- nitrogen 8y agoBuying things from far away is the point of living in a modern, global economy. You don't get people on your side by telling them they want the wrong things. The way forward is to give people what they want in a sustainable way. If someone's feet hurt, you don't tell them to lie down for the rest of their lives. You tell them to get better shoes. Global trade reduces global warfare, too.
- jacobreg 8y agoOr at least price the unsustainable goods to reflect the harm they're doing to the environment, and use that extra money to help fix it.
- agumonkey 8y agoI'm happy about warfare channeling through economic relations but the rest is bullshit IMO. I believe more in locality rather than having constant supply of things from all over the world. And that it's "THE" point of a modern economy couldn't be more pointless to me.
- ChuckMcM 8y agoI expect you are correct but not because the sail is not efficient enough, just that it would be impossible to implement without displacing several stacks of cargo containers. Thus the energy savings would be offset by a loss of cargo revenue. Not to mention the additional challenges of operating near loading and offloading cranes.
- rsynnott 8y agoPotentially just makes a better testbed. As the article mentions, it is planned to add this to a couple of oil tankers.
- pm24601 8y agoSimple reasons: 1. A ferry can be inspected continuously - after every run, end of day, end of season, etc. 2. The sail can be in the ideal position. 3. The sail will not get damaged during the loading/unloading process.