Giant kites on ships aid global warming

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A high-tech version of the traditional sailing ship is the latest bid to halt climate change.

Two German companies have teamed up to create a kite system that uses wind power to pull enormous ships.
The kite flies up to 300 metres high to harness powerful prevailing winds and tug the 10,000-tonne ship forward, helping its diesel engine cut fuel consumption by 20 per cent.

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The 132-metre ship MV Beluga SkySails will make her maiden voyage across the Atlantic next month, pulled by a giant computer-guided kite tethered to a 15-metre high mast.

The kite flies up to 300 metres high to harness powerful prevailing winds and tug the 10,000-tonne ship forward, helping its diesel engine cut fuel consumption by 20 per cent.

The inventors, Beluga Shipping and Skysails, aim to get 1,500 ships fitted with kites by 2015. 


via Spluch

1 Response to “Giant kites on ships aid global warming”


  1. 1 Andreas

    The mentioned ship of Beluga shipping company went off for first voyage with the kite last week from Bremerhaven in Germany
    regards

    Andreas

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