Shipping industry invents sails to comply with climate change rules

A French company has reinvented the sail and is set to test pilot their device at the beginning of next year.

This comes as the United Nations and world leaders renewed their push on attacking global warming.

According to Bloomberg, the Ville de Bordeaux ship will be the first to trial a 500 square meter kite for a trek across the Atlantic Ocean. What amounts to being a sail is the effort made by a company called Airseas to help cut carbon dioxide emissions in the shipping industry.

Per the group’s Linkedin page:

"The Ro-Ro ship, which transports major aircraft components between France and the United States, will deploy the 500m2 Seawing on its monthly transatlantic journeys from January 2022, conducting sea trials and testing ahead of its full operation."

Airseas claims a 1000 square meter sail flying at 300 meters can cut fuel consumption by 20 percent. The group was founded back in 2016 with the intention of trying to find environmentally friendly ways to sail. Given the demands of the Paris Climate accords, the opportunity presented itself.

"A decade ago, we embarked on the ambitious project of channelling our unique aviation expertise towards creating a cleaner and more sustainable shipping industry. Today, I am beyond proud to see that vision becoming reality, with our first Seawing ready to make a tangible difference for our planet," said Airseas CEO and Co-Founder, Vincent Bernatets.

President Biden previously apologized that Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate accords, but simultaneously admitted the previous administration’s success in lowering emissions numbers back in 2019.