Kites may be returning to provide wind-assisted propulsion to commercial ships. In January of next year, the 5,200 dwt Ro/Ro Ville de Bordeaux, chartered by Airbus and operated by Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, will begin testing a 500-square-meter half-size demonstration version of a Seawing automated kite on its monthly transatlantic journeys. The intent is to conduct six months of sea trials and testing ahead of its full operation.

Airseas, the firm that developed the Seawing automated kite system, has received formal approval from Bureau Veritas to begin operations at sea, following three years of close collaboration on the development and early trials of the Seawing. 

Airseas estimates that the full-size 1000-square-meter parafoil Seawing will result in an average 20% savings in fuel consumption and a commensurate reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

While the new Seawing may be the latest, most advanced, and largest kite propulsion system, it is not, as reported by several sources in the media, the first installation of its kind on a commercial vessel. Kite wind-assist propulsion was first installed on commercial ships over a decade ago.

In 2007, the Beluga Skysails, a 472 TEU container ship, was built to be partially propelled by a 160-square meter automated kite sail. Initial voyages were successful with fuel savings of 5%. Plans to double the kite size to 320-square meters were scuppered when Beluga Shipping was declared insolvent in 2011 following a takeover by a private equity firm.

The newer and substantially larger Airseas Seawing may better demonstrate the potential of kites for wind-assist propulsion.

SeaWing | The 1,000-Square-Meter Kite by Airbus That Will Tow Cargo Ships

Thanks to Roberta Weisbrod for contributing to this post.