Fossil fuel prices are forever growing while creating more damage to eco sustainable solutions that are becoming increasingly popular thanks also to technologic solutions. These facts are paving the way for innovative ways with which to carry cargo by sea. This applies to passengers and merchandise stowed away in containers, considering that on a world wide scale cargo ships transport 80% of the goods be sea. These are undoubtedly large figures that have repercussions on the environment as well. This is highlighted in several very interesting recently presented innovative projects where sails are exploited rather than engines. Sails act as auxiliaries to the main engines. We’re obviously talking about sails that are radically different from the ones used a century ago and the ones used today in our waters every summer.
Among the avant garde projects several are particularly interesting also if for no other reason that behind them there are internationally well known important investors which at least on paper are not carriers of futuristic looking project designs drawn up by a handful of designers looking to become famous overnight.
Let’s start by taking a look at Canopée a 121 metre long cargo ship powered up by six large semi rigid sales each one sporting a surface area of 250 square metres. They’re devised to work as auxiliaries to conventional engines with a fuel saving capacity of up to 40%. The sail system is known as Ocean Wings overseen by French VPLP design through ten years
