Go fly a hybrid kite!
May 17th, 2007 by Progressive Wednesday
After reading a recent article in Business 2.0, I learned that I was shocked that 90% of all goods sent overseas are hauled by “50,000 diesel-powered containerships.”
But a Germany company is about to set-sail a ship with a creative hitch:
A giant kite [will be attached] that files 1,000 feet above the bow, connected to an automated telescoping mast. Wind power won’t displace the ship’s giant diesel engines, but it will take a load off, slashing fuel consumption by as much as 30 percent.
These kites are designed by SkySails, and they hope to expand the use of their kites to “oil tankers, fish trawlers, and big yachts.” The company “[aims] to reduce fuel consumption of modern shipping by the utilization of environmentally friendly, free-of-charge wind energy.”
It seems to us that wind energy is a place where American companies could start increasing jobs on our shores. Someone needs to build these kites. Someone needs to build wind turbines. Why not us? Why not now?
While you try to answer those only somewhat rhetorical questions, you can see this sail in action in the video below. (Since the company is German, you know, the dialogue is also in German. We really don’t know what they’re saying. We’ll assume it’s good stuff.)
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