Worldwide shipping is one industry which has long avoided regulation in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. However, it is estimated that worldwide shipping amounts to one gigaton or more of carbon dioxide emissions yearly, a total larger than most nations. The shipping industry is thought to be more emission-heavy than aviation as well. This is largely due to the fuel used.
Cargo ships, of which there are said to be about 50,000 transporting ninety percent of worldwide goods, use bunker fuel. This fuel is cheap, comparatively, but is a fuel that pollutes greatly when burned. Bunker fuel is also very high in sulfur which creates more emissions issues. Which is why the United Nations International Maritime Organization has created sulfur emissions and fuel efficiency regulations recently.
Experts predict that shipping emissions could be lowered by thirty percent by simply increasing efficiency. New technology will allow companies to increase efficiency, but as in many cases, the technologies are not cost-effective in the beginning so many forgo. But the new regulations by the UN will drive many companies to increase efficiency and drive down emissions. One way this may be done is through solar energy.
Solar Sailor is a company founded in Australia which offers solar technology to ships. The company also fits vessels with solar sails, or solar panels placed on massive sails. The technology is being used in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Sydney, largely by ferries. However, the technology is able to be used on larger ships. The company is currently working to fit a large cargo ship owned by an Australian mining company with a 130 foot solar sail. The company ships iron ore and other mined goods.
At eighteen miles per hour, Solar Sailor estimates that the installation could reduce fuel costs by twenty to forty percent. Additional solar panels could see an additional reduction of three to six percent. Overall, the company would likely see a fuel savings of $3.1 million per year. The system will be paid for within two years through fuel savings alone, according to Solar Sailor.
