While a return to the days of sailing vessels taking cargo around the world sounds romantic, it is also unrealistic. The great sails of old were no where near as efficient as ships are today. However with shipping being forced down a decarbonisation road, it is likely that some modern alternatives will be part of the mix of fossil fuel free solutions. Many of the solutions that have been demonstrated so far are retrofitted onto ships. There are few newbuild vessels with a wind assist technology installed. In this episode of Aronnax we look at the need for a holistic approach to wind assist solutions. We hear from BAR Technologies which has taken learning and systems from the high octane competitive America’s Cup racing, from the Airbus-backed kite solution Airseas, as well as form a young consultancy Blue Wasp, with the industries first Phd graduates in wind assist technologies
Nick Chubb from Thetius also gives his round up of the start up and technology space over the last week
