Look at a sailing ship that can carry up to 7,000 vehicles
September 11, 2020Developed for sustainable transportation of cars across the Atlantic
Details have emerged about the project of a giant sailing vessel capable of transporting up to seven thousand cars across the Atlantic. At the same time, atmospheric emissions are minimized – this figure is 90 percent lower than that of conventional auto transporters of the same class.
The Royal Institute of Technology KTH in Stockholm, the maritime consulting company SSPA and the shipbuilding company Wallenius Marine took part in the creation of the sailing car carrier, named Oceanbird. It reaches 200 meters in length, 40 meters in width and 100 meters in height, 80 of which are sails.
The Oceanbird is powered by the engines needed to enter the harbor and for emergencies. However, the main source of energy is wind. According to plans, the ship will be launched in 2024.
The Oceanbird has several disadvantages when compared to other vessels used to transport vehicles. For example, it would take a sailing ship 12 days to cross the Atlantic instead of a standard week. In addition, Oceanbird is inferior to ro-ro rokers (a type of container ships for transporting wheeled vehicles) in terms of capacity, but only slightly. For comparison, the Norwegian Hoegh Target can accommodate up to 8.5 thousand cars, and a sailboat – only 6-7 thousand.
This spring, the MV Golden Ray cargo ship carrying more than 4,000 Hyundai and Kia vehicles capsized off the coast of the United States. Later, it was decided to dispose of it: for this, the vessel had to be cut into eight parts weighing up to 4000 tons each, and taken out on barges.
