BIMCO touts wind power for ship's electric needs
Wind and solar power are becoming popular in yachts, where they can power lights and other small electrical systems, Ship & Bunker reports.
Wind power could help supply electricity to commercial ships, reducing fuel consumption, according to international shipping association BIMCO.
Experiments have shown that small wind turbines can contribute to ships' electrical needs, and larger ones or greater numbers could make a significant reduction in fuel consumption and generator load.
"The ship of the future may derive electrical power from a whole range of sources, some traditional like diesel or shaft generators and some sustainable, with both wind and solar each providing their contribution," BIMCO writes.
"All these will aggregate into a more efficient, cleaner ship, which could conceivably supplement its conventional propulsive power with wind assistance."
Win increasingly efficient designs, wind generators are already popular in yachts, where they can charge batteries for lights and other power needs, and they're also used in unmanned light vessels, where solar arrays and wind turbines working together can drive a large rotating and long-range light.
New technology like wind turbines that rotate on a vertical axis may prove more durable in the face of storms and turbulence while offering the same efficiency as traditional turbines, according to Bimco.
In August, Eco Marine Power Co. Ltd. of Japan announced a new sail system using wind and solar power to reduce fuel costs and emissions, and in February the Irish Navy said it is experimenting with "kite sails" to reduce fuel usage.