The Times - UK (2020-11-26)

the times | Thursday November 26 2020 1GM 23

News

In the age of sail, ships followed the
trade routes across the Atlantic —
heading over the horizon with a hold
full of cargo and the hope that the wind
would follow. Then steam came, and
the wind was merely an annoyance.
Now a new age of sail could return as
a Swedish company plans to build the
world’s tallest sailing ship to transport
cars without the carbon footprint.
However, this vessel, named Ocean-
bird, is not one that Hornblower would
have recognised. Instead of wind snap-
ping in the rigging, it has smooth steel
composite “wings”. Instead of canvas
trimmed to the following breeze, it has
masts that swivel to optimise lift.
The Swedish shipbuilder Wallenius
Marine believes that the vessel, which it
hopes to produce by 2024, could carry
7,000 cars across the Atlantic in 12 days
— compared with seven for a diesel-
powered cargo ship, and five weeks for
Christopher Columbus.
“For the last 20 years we had a vision
that we were going to build emission-
free shipping,” Per Tunell, chief operat-
ing officer at Wallenius Marine, said. At
present almost 3 per cent of global
carbon is from maritime transport.
“We looked at so many ways, and
struggled for many years. We came to
the conclusion it was only possible if we
were utilising the energy around the
vessel.” But what energy? They consid-
ered solar energy, but there wasn’t
enough of it. Waves were too erratic.
Then they realised there was a form of
energy that was plentiful and had a

proven record: wind — and they decid-

ed to reinvent the sailing ship.

The ship they have designed, which

has been tested in scale prototypes, is

intended for use on any ocean.

One advantage is that, unlike in the

past, modern-day captains can see the

doldrums coming.

“A long time ago you didn’t have the

forecasts we have today. Now, we think

we can route the vessel so it is in favour-

able winds almost always,” Mr Tunell

said. In extremis, it will have an engine

to get it through heavy storms or lulls.

The second advantage is the sails

themselves. The company has already

had interest from Volvo, which is look-

ing to transport cars more sustainably,

New age of sail as ships get their second wind

Tom Whipple Science Editor but it knew that to compete with diesel
meant moving a cargo vastly heavier
than even the most laden Spanish
treasure galleon.
After partnering with the KTH Royal
Institute of Technology in Stockholm,
the company found a solution — to get
more wind you need taller sails. So tall,
in fact, that no one was sure what the
wind did at that height.
“This boat is 100 metres high above
the surface of the ocean,” Jakob Kutten-
keuler, professor of maritime engineer-
ing at KTH, said. “Normal sailing boats,
which we have lots of experience in,
only use the 30m close to the water.
With this, that’s where we start to sail.”
He and his colleagues conducted
extensive altitude measurements of
weather at sea, to try to work out what
went on at that height. “We are using a
[part] of the atmosphere where basic-
ally people have not been before,” he
said.
The resulting design, with a series of
vertical wings, was, he said, “something
completely different from ships 200
years ago. They were sailing with the
wind, we are using the wind — which is
different.” This is why the company is
more confident that it can not only
carry cargo across the Atlantic, but also
do so reliably and on time.
“During the last 100 years we have
been cheating, combusting fossil fuels
at a rate that can’t continue,” he said.
“We have to go back to something more
sustainable. The time has come to sail
again.”
Inspiration from old technologies,
leading article, page 33

Average speed 10 knots (12mph)

Atlantic crossing time 12 days

Capacity 7,000 cars

CO2 emissions 3 to 12 tonnes/day

Average speed 17 knots (20mph)

Atlantic crossing time 7 days

Capacity 8,000 cars

CO2 emissions 120 tonnes/day

100m

Height

50

0

Oceanbird

105m (length 200m)

Wallenius Hero class

47m

Big Ben

95m Nelson’s

Column

52m

Spirit of France

(cross-Channel ferry)

45m

Average speed 25 knots (29mph)

Capacity 2,000 passengers

1,059 cars, 180 lorries

Giant of the sea