Articles tagged with "maritime-technology"
Wind-powered cargo ship hits 99.6% use, cuts 20 tons CO2 daily
The Canopée cargo ship, the world’s first hybrid electric and thermal-powered industrial vessel equipped with four automated OceanWings vertical sails, has successfully completed two years of continuous operation transporting Ariane 6 rocket parts between Europe and French Guiana. This pioneering wind-assisted propulsion system has demonstrated significant real-world fuel savings, averaging 5.2 tons daily, equivalent to about 1,200 kW of engine power saved. Each wingsail contributes roughly 1.3 tons of daily fuel savings, translating to over 20.8 tons of CO2 emissions avoided per day. The system has achieved an impressive 99.6% operational availability, underscoring its reliability and efficiency in commercial shipping. The Canopée’s performance highlights the potential of wind propulsion as a practical solution to reduce the maritime sector’s greenhouse gas emissions, which currently account for 3% of global emissions despite shipping transporting 90% of goods worldwide. On recent transatlantic voyages, the ship recorded even higher
energyhybrid-powerwind-propulsioncarbon-emissions-reductionmaritime-technologysustainable-shippingOceanWingsFrench shipyard floats out world's largest luxury sail yacht cruise
The Orient Express Corinthian, the world’s largest luxury sail yacht cruise ship, recently floated out at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, marking its official debut on the water. Weighing 26,200 gross tons and measuring 727 feet (220 meters) in length, the vessel is a joint project between the famed Orient Express train service and French hospitality group Accor. Designed to accommodate 110 passengers in 54 suites, the yacht will sail through the French and Italian Rivieras, Mediterranean and Adriatic seas, before crossing the Atlantic to spend winters in the Caribbean. Its maiden voyage is scheduled for mid-2026, following construction that began in March 2024. The ship features innovative and sustainable technologies, including three balestron rigs with pivoting and tilting masts that carry over 16,000 square feet of sail each, enabling it to operate primarily on renewable wind power. A hybrid propulsion system using liqu
energyrenewable-energyhybrid-propulsionAI-powered-detectionmaritime-technologyballast-water-treatmentdynamic-positioningWorld-1st stable deployment of atomic clock on HMS Puncher completed
Aquark Technologies, a UK quantum sensing specialist, has completed the world’s first stable deployment of a cold-atom-based atomic clock, called AQlock, on a moving maritime platform—the Royal Navy’s Archer-class patrol vessel HMS Puncher. The AQlock operated continuously over three days in the Solent area, marking a significant milestone for Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technology. This trial, supported by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and funded in part by Innovate UK’s Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), demonstrated the clock’s stability and robustness in harsh offshore conditions, aiming to reduce global reliance on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The AQlock improves conventional PNT by leveraging atoms cooled to near absolute zero to stabilize a conventional oscillator, thereby reducing long-term drift and maintaining high precision without frequent GNSS corrections. Aquark’s unique supermolasses trap technology underpins the system, making it highly robust, portable, more affordable, and suitable
energyatomic-clockquantum-sensingmaritime-technologynavigation-systemsGNSS-alternativesprecision-timingSaildrone, Meta complete robotic deep-water cable route survey - The Robot Report
Saildrone Inc., in partnership with Meta, successfully completed a 26-day autonomous deep-water cable route survey in the North Atlantic using the Saildrone Surveyor, a 20-meter uncrewed surface vehicle (USV). The Surveyor mapped over 4,500 km of seabed, including complex topographies, without requiring port calls or external assistance. Equipped with advanced sensors such as the Kongsberg EM304 MKII multibeam sonar and powered by AI algorithms, the USV demonstrated data quality and operational performance comparable to traditional crewed survey vessels. Key metrics like route fidelity, line keeping, data transmission, and depth accuracy met or exceeded expectations, proving autonomous ocean mapping is both feasible and highly effective. The mission emphasized minimizing health, safety, and environmental risks by enabling remote operations, allowing hydrographic surveyors and engineers to work from shore-based offices rather than offshore, thus reducing physical and mental strain. Environmentally, the Surveyor avoided approximately 243 tons of CO₂ emissions—over 50 times less than conventional vessels—highlighting the sustainability benefits of uncrewed systems. This successful demonstration not only supports Meta’s growing subsea cable infrastructure needs but also signals broader potential for USVs in subsea telecommunications, offshore energy, and national hydrographic programs, with future efforts aimed at expanding operational capabilities.
roboticsautonomous-vehiclesunderwater-mappinguncrewed-surface-vehicleAI-sensorssubsea-cable-surveymaritime-technologyFortescue Determined to Decarbonise International Shipping - CleanTechnica
energydecarbonisationgreen-hydrogenammonia-fuelshipping-emissionsrenewable-energymaritime-technologyNew nuclear reactor built for world's most powerful icebreaker
energynuclear-reactoricebreakerArctic-shippingRosatomRITM-400maritime-technologyUK firm debuts world’s longest-range drone ship with 8,500-mile reach
robotIoTenergyautonomous-vesselshybrid-propulsionmaritime-technologyunmanned-systemsBoosted by defense and Starlink, Orca AI pulls in $72.5M for its autonomous shipping platform
autonomous-shippingAI-navigationdefense-technologyIoTfuel-efficiencymaritime-technologyStarlink