The Ingenious Ship That Will Revolutionise The World

Source: Medium, Will Lockett
Photo: Oceanbird

Oceanbird and its remarkable technology.

We typically picture a massive rusty container ship plodding around the ocean when we think of ships. These slow, inefficient behemoths spit out around 940 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, not to mention the horrific impact of their skull-shakingly loud engines. But Oceanbird wants to change that. They have developed what can only be described as ‘the vessel from the future’, and it could be the key to saving our economy and food supplies as we transition to net-zero.

Our modern world relies on shipping to function. From bananas to cars and even natural gas, almost every aspect of our lives depends on thousands of these vessels slowly chugging around the globe. Whilst they have taken huge leaps in efficiency over the decades they still have a massive impact on the environment. Their engines run dirty, their propellers literally cut animals in half and their immense underwater racket disturbs the delicate marine ecosystems.

One way we can solve at least some of these problems is by switching to alternative propulsion methods. Sadly electric drives are out of the question as the batteries would be far too massive. Hydrogen is also not applicable for the same reason. It is just too bulky. This has led many to call for the shipping industry to switch to carbon-neutral biofuels, this way the entire industry could easily and inexpensively eliminate its massive carbon footprint.

But there is a problem.

Biofuels take vast amounts of land to cultivate the crops and the refineries require extensive solar or wind farms. To provide the shipping industry with enough fuel we would need to decimate vast swathes of nature. Not only would this dramatically impact biodiversity, but it could also reduce how much carbon dioxide nature is already absorbing, effectively making this endeavour null and void.

Even if carbon-neutral biofuels were a viable option they are eye wateringly expensive! We simply couldn’t afford the switch.

It also doesn’t solve all the other issues of shipping, such as noise pollution and animal strikes. This is where Oceanbird comes in. They have devised a brilliant solution by combining old-school and cutting edge technology.

Oceanbird realised that none of these problems existed a few hundred years ago. Our sailboats could travel around the globe without emitting a single gram of carbon, strike a single animal or deafen marine life.

By using efficient and powerful solid sails combined with a modern, optimised hull, they have created a vessel capable of carrying our massive cargo at speeds close to current container ships. However, as the wind doesn’t always blow, this brilliant vessel still needs a small diesel engine to bump up the speed on those calm days at sea.

This relatively simple technology is surprisingly impactful. Simulations show that Oceanbird can cross the Atlantic with a cargo equivalent to 7,000 cars in only 12 days. Our current carbon belching ships take less time at 8 days, but Oceanbird uses 90% less fuel! This also means that Oceanbird produces less noise pollution and less deadly animal strikes as their cumbersome propellers are spinning far less.

The shipping industry can easily accommodate the slightly longer crossing times as the running costs are so low and the minuscule carbon footprint means emissions restrictions won’t affect them. In fact, Oceanbird could be very attractive to operators because marine logistics is a numbers game, and cheap to run ships adds to their bottom line. I’m sure countless operators are eyeing up Oceanbird purely on its money-saving potential.

But Oceanbird’s impact goes much further than that.

With such a low fuel usage, the whole shipping industry could potentially switch to biofuels and not extensively damage the environment. Not only that, but they may be able to afford it too, as carbon-neutral biofuels are far more expensive than the dino-juice we usually use.

I’m speculating here, but Oceanbird could also take fuel entirely out of the equation by placing massive solar panels on its decks or in its solid sails and use an electric drive. Again, because it needs so little additional energy, the battery pack could be small enough not to compromise the vessel.

Finally, there is the bigger impact Oceanbird may have. It could save our economy and food supplies.

Governments know they need to cut their emissions fast. One of the ways they are looking to do this is by restricting the emissions of some of the world’s biggest polluters. One of the targets they have in their sights is the shipping industry.

But, unlike other industries, we have so far fallen short of engineering and producing eco-friendly alternatives to power these vital ships. The lack of options means that these vessels may have to restrict their operations, or even scrap themselves, as governments clampdown.

But many economies depend on imports and exports to prop up their economy and deliver vital food supplies year around. With a severely restricted shipping industry the price of food could skyrocket and entire countries’ economies could be dramatically impacted. This is a future in which even the richest countries suffer greatly under the weight of climate change.

But Oceanbird now gives them an option, saving us from this bleak future.

So will Oceanbird cause a revolution?

I certainly think so. If it becomes widely adopted then millions of tonnes of carbon emissions can be avoided, the path the alternative fuels in shipping is opened up, marine ecosystems will feel less pressure from humanity and our modern global economy could survive the harsh emission regulations necessary to save the planet. But we will have to wait and see. The first Oceanbird is set to launch in 2025 and it could be even longer until they go into regular operation. Let’s hope this remarkable ship isn’t too late.

https://medium.com/predict/the-ingenious-ship-that-will-revolutionise-the-world