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Yes, a solar powered ship would at best do ~3 knots. Which is slow, yet it is practically free. Sail/wind powered would do somewhat better while being more comp
by trhway 1y ago
Yes, a solar powered ship would at best do ~3 knots. Which is slow, yet it is practically free. Sail/wind powered would do somewhat better while being more complex/expensive. An autonomous ship/barge though doesn't need speed.
- sandworm101 1y agoNo. 3knots would be moving backwards much of the time. And cargo stuck at sea for an extended period costs money. Air frieght exists for a reason.
- trhway 1y agoI actually meant those ships specifically for AWL discussed in the article and for other similar loitering endeavors, not for cargo.
- Terr_ 1y ago> An autonomous ship/barge though doesn't need speed The underlying problem for all this is the time value of money/capital. I recall someone arguing that we could drop sea-cargo CO2 emissions by a third if the boats went a quarter slower... But the opportunity cost of that extra time is significant.
- ZeroGravitas 1y agoThere's an initiative to do this without opportunity cost, as currently ships follow a "hurry up and wait" schedule because if they happen to miss a connection they bear all the costs. Simply agreeing to share the costs for ocatisional missed deadlines means everyone can go slower, save fuel as well as carbon and share the benefits.