The Blue Marlin became the world’s first hybrid solar-powered inland cargo ship. The ship uses a system that combines solar power with fuel. It has 192 solar panels that generate electricity to run the ship’s engine and onboard systems.
The solar system was created by a Dutch company, Wattlab, that specialises in solar energy solutions for ships. They teamed up with HGK Shipping, which is one of Europe’s biggest inland shipping companies. The Blue Marlin’s solar system is fully connected to its engine, making this ship more powerful and efficient. The ship uses smart technology that manages energy automatically. This smart tech has a mode called peak saving, which avoids turning on extra fuel generators during times of high energy demand. The system reduces pollution by reducing fuel consumption.
HGK Shipping has around 350 ships that transports about 43 million tonnes of cargo every year. By using solar power, the company is reducing its fuel consumption and thereby lowering carbon footprint and working towards environment-friendly transportation.
The cargo shipping industry contributes 2.5% of global greenhouse gases. They emit around 1,000 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. Although compared to other transportation, the shipping industry is less carbon-intensive, the amount of cargo it transports contributes significantly to climate change. Therefore, adopting cleaner energy options in waterway transportation will help mitigate the effects of climate change.
Source:
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/worlds-first-solar-powered-cargo-vessel
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