Wind-Powered Super Cargo Ship That Can Carry 7000 Cars Is Being Developed

• The Wallenius Marine OceanBird can carry thousands of cars at nearly the speed of fossil fuel cargo ships.
• It will have gigantic smart sails, retractable ones that are 80 meters tall (262 feet).
• The ship will be outfitted with an auxiliary engine that operates on clean fuel as backup.

Traditional cargo ships make up for the 2 percent of energy-related carbon emissions in the world, but these ships are necessary to keep the global economy going. But there’s a more environment-friendly version being designed, which has the potential to become the cargo ship of the future.

The Wallenius Marine OceanBird is a 100 percent wind-powered sailboat that will definitely reduce carbon emissions of the cargo industry. This super sailboat is designed to carry an astonishing 7000 cars across the Atlantic.

At the moment, freight lines are constantly making the effort to use fewer fossil fuels for their operations. One of these changes is slowing down their speeds, given that they can absorb additional lead time.

Now with a wind-powered ship, the journey can be completed faster while still producing way less carbon emissions.

The OceanBird is equipped with gigantic smart sails, retractable ones that are 80 meters tall (262 feet). These huge sails will be controlled via algorithms which can give exact calculations on how to use wind power out there on the ocean in the most efficient way possible.

The massive vessel will be outfitted with an auxiliary engine that operates on clean fuel. As the boat is completely wind-powered, this engine will only serve as backup and also for getting in and out of harbors.

So essentially, the OceabBird will be operating like a Toyota Prius and other hybrid vehicles, making use of two power sources – the fuel engine to start it and get going and the more efficient wind power for cruising.

Additionally, changes are being made to the shape of the ship’s hull, adding more computing power that can provide the best configuration to make use of the most speed anytime.

The global cargo shipping industry works hard in minimizing emissions as best as it could. If the OceanBird becomes successful, it will definitely become a game-changer in the cruise ships. The super boat is strictly at the design phase at the moment, with the earliest possible production being eyed in 2024.