PORT OF HAMBURG magazine - Hafen Hamburg

Hamburg – gateway to the world < NewsFoto: HasenpuschEva Luise Köhler, Gattin des Bundespräsidenten, tauft die „BelugaSkySails“ an der Überseebrücke in Hamburg./Eva Luise Köhler, the wifeof the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, at the namingceremony of the Beluga SkySails at the Überseebrücke in Hamburg.President of the Ministry for Economic and LabourAffairs, conveyed the congratulations of the City on theoccasion of the naming of the ship. The Beluga SkySailsis the first ship to be fitted with a towing kite that allowsit to use wind power for propulsion in addition to theDiesel engine. The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburgsupported the development and construction of the ship.Senator Gunnar Uldall: “This development is the perfectsymbiosis of economy and ecology. This project by thecompany SkySails proves once again that environmentaland climate protection and a global market can coexistin harmony. For the Senate to support such innovativecompanies is both the right thing to do, and it is important.”The development of the towing kite propulsion systemprovides cargo ships and luxury yachts in particularwith the option of making use of free wind energy, andat the same time contributing to a reduced emission ofgreenhouse gases. Retrofitting towing-kite systems oncargo ships is considered the most promising option atthis stage, and according to Stephan Wrage, founder andmanaging shareholder of SkySails, these systems will payfor themselves within three to five years. The towingkite is launched from the ship at sea and then, controlledby an autopilot, it tows the ship while maintaining analtitude of up to 500 metres. During sea trials, the testvessel could achieve higher speeds than using conventionalmaritime diesel fuel. Wrage estimates that using thetowing-kite propulsion system around the world couldsave up to 150 million tons of carbon dioxide.