Airbus freighter: stunt kites reduce fuel consumption and emissions by 20 percent

The European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, which also assembles aircraft in the USA and China, will in future transport components such as wings, fuselage segments, vertical and vertical stabilizers or cockpits with its own freighters that are equipped with an additional wind drive. This is strongly reminiscent of SkySails, a stunt kite, which the Hamburg-based company of the same name has been offering for a good decade. SeaWing is the name of the competitive system, developed by the Airbus subsidiary AirSeas. "SeaWing reminds me a lot of our system," says Stephan Wrage, who founded SkySails in 2001. The Hamburg-based company has so far equipped five ships with their wind propulsion. Most recently, last year, the “Race for Water” catamaran, which is on a world tour.

Kite hangs on a 400 meter rope
Both systems are attached to the bow on deck. If the wind is enough, the sails are started at the push of a button. They unfold independently and pull the ship with the help of a light high-performance rope that is 400 meters long. When the breeze subsides, the system catches up with the stunt kite without outside help. The four Airbus freighters operate both in Europe and between Europe and the overseas assembly plants. For the time being, one of them will be equipped with the SeaWing. The sail measures 1000 square meters. It is said to reduce fuel consumption by 20 percent. The company claims that this means that the investment in the kite will pay for itself after just one year. In addition, freighters with an additional wind drive emit less carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and soot. This could be important if the emission limit values ​​for seagoing vessels are further reduced, but especially if, as planned, carbon dioxide emissions will also have to be paid for by shipping companies from 2023. Maritime shipping is one of the most important emitters of pollutants.