Japanese company Eco Marine promises to equip cargo ships with universal sails. They will immediately use both wind energy and solar energy, writes Clean Technica. They will be able to provide the ship with energy, for example, in the port or assist the engines during the voyage, playing the role of conventional sails. The company wants to combine sails with solar panels. Networks of such rigid solar sails, according to the company's plans, will be installed on cargo ships. They will be synchronized with on-board energy storage and distribution systems. It is expected that this will reduce freight costs. During 2018, the company will conduct tests and make calculations to confirm the economic feasibility of its decision. In the framework of such tests, sails will be installed on several bulk carriers - special ships intended for the carriage of bulk cargo, for example, grain, ore, coal. These tests will show how much energy of motion can be obtained from such sails and what an effective amount of solar panels can be placed on them. After that, there will be chosen one cargo ship, which is fully equipped with this system and subjected to tests with a duration of 12-18 months. Coastal and ocean cargo ships are significant sources of global CO2 emissions. The company believes that initiatives to reduce their impact on the environment will be welcomed by both the society and investors. Outside the territorial waters shipping is almost not regulated, which makes it easy to ignore government directives and policies in the field of emission control. But while the transition to renewable energy for shipping companies is not profitable, they will not change anything. Therefore, Eco Marine wants to make solar sails not only an environmental initiative, but also an economically viable solution.

Original article: Eco Marine will equip cargo ships with solar sails.