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Thursday, September 13, 2007

Green Ships for Blue Highways

Described as "possibly the greatest evolution in boats since the advent of steam," an ingenuously simple concept that combines sun and wind power with sophisticated computer systems is set to transform the future of navigation.

Solar sailing -- the idea of using solar and wind energy to propel ships -- can cut a ship's fuel costs by up to 90 percent and significantly lower its environmental impact. The new technology, which is already used in Sydney Harbor, can be applied to everything from cruise ships to 500,000-tonne water transport tankers and small unmanned military vessels.

The concept is the brainchild of Robert Dane, an Australian doctor from the small fishing town of Ulladulla in New South Wales. A keen sailor and rower, Dane was watching a solar-powered boat race in Canberra in 1996 and noted that the winning boat used a solar panel inclined towards the sun.

Dane started working on this idea and developed a flexible wing sail covered in solar panels. The steel and plastic structure was not only able to exploit both solar and wind power, but could also adapt to sudden changes in weather by folding onto the ship's roof. Thus the sail would not destabilize the boat, but the solar panels could still collect energy.

By combining Solar Sail technology with conventional engines, Dane had come up with a versatile solution that would allow ships to run on wind, sun, batteries or fuel, or any combination of these.

And the future? The possibilities seem limitless: from luxury private yachts to tanker ships, the prospects of saving fuel, reducing pollution levels and increasing passenger comfort means that the Solar Sailor concept could go a long way on tomorrow's blue highways.

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