2Sustain

Could wind power help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the shipping industry?

Cargill wants to find out. The company has partnered with Hamburg-based SkySails to use innovative kite technology to help power large shipping vessels.

According to a press release, next December Cargill will install a 320m2 SkySails kite on a handysize vessel of between 25,000 and 30,000 deadweight tonnes, which the company has on long-term charter. Reportedly, this will then be the largest-ever vessel propelled by a kite.

SkySails estimates that the kite, which flies ahead of the vessel, can generate enough propulsion to reduce consumption of bunker fuel by up to 35 percent in ideal sailing conditions. The kite functions at a height of between 100 to 420 meters and flies in a figure-eight formation, steered by an automatic control system.

G.J. van den Akker, head of Cargill’s ocean transportation business, called the SkySail’s project “a meaningful first step” towards driving environmental best practice within the shipping industry. (more…)

Last year was another record-breaking year for US wind power additions, and a growing percentage of wind turbine equipment used here is being sourced domestically, according to a new report released earlier this month by the US Department of Energy (DOE).

The “2009 Wind Technologies Market Report,” authored primarily by DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, reveals that: (more…)

In light of the BP oil spill disaster now occurring in the Gulf of Mexico, I can’t say that I’m surprised. But, even so, it’s still encouraging to hear that in a recent survey by Applied Materials, three-quarters of Americans feel that increasing renewable energy and decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil are the country’s top energy priorities.

The new survey, conducted by phone during the period June 10-13, 2010, polled a nationally representative sample of 1,000 American adults, and in addition to identifying widespread support for renewable energy initiatives, the study also revealed a growing willingness among consumers to help pay for alternatives to petroleum-based energy sources. (more…)

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 includes several provisions to spur development of wind and other renewable energy industries, but unfortunately, wind turbine manufacturing in the U.S. still lags. In fact, both announcements and production activity have now fallen behind 2008 levels.

Put another way: last year was a mixed bag for the U.S. wind industry.

For a summary of 2009 wind industry highlights, check out the lengthy list recently released by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). On the positive side of the ledger, AWEA stresses that last year the U.S. wind industry continued to: (more…)