From eco-shipping to survival through innovation, we’ve been keeping an eye on the most interesting maritime news. Here’s a selection of green themed articles from the past week:
The next generation cargo ship – The Wind Challenger Project, set up by the University of Tokyo, aims to substantially reduce fuel consumption by large merchant vessels. The key idea is to utilise giant retractable sails, 20m wide by 50m high, to make maximal use of wind energy. DigInfo.tv reports that the group has done simulations for shipping routes, with the results indicating that hybrid ships with sails and engines could reduce annual fuel consumption by about 30% on average.
Image courtesy of Diginfo.tv
Survival through innovation – Mr Goh Chok Tong, Emeritus Senior Minister at The Baltic and International Maritime Council, believes innovation is the only way for the maritime industry to overcome the key challenges and meet the increasing demands for greater efficiency, safety and environmental sustainability. You can read his full speech from BIMCO’s Annual General Meeting 2012 at Safety 4 Sea.
What’s the future of the shipping industry? – Brundtland Commission’ “Our common future” report revealed that 90% of the global trade is carried by sea, remaining critical to the growth of the global economy. Naftrade reports that in order for the shipping industry to continue to flourish, and grow, it needs to embrace new sustainable technologies. These issues will be discussed at Rio+20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development this June. What do you think will help the future of shipping?
Have you read anything interesting this week that you’d like to share?