Conference: Natural Propulsion in Ship Design
A new conference on the use of natural propulsion in the global shipping industry will take place in New York state on November 16, 2021. The conference is being hosted by Webb Institute in Glen Cove and will be broadcast live.
This is a free event, but registration is required.
The conference will introduce to the audience the design of hybrid merchant ships capable of harnessing free and renewable energies available on board–wind, solar and hydro–to improve vessel efficiency, independent of the fuel or type of engine used.
The conference could not be more timely: In the United States, 80 percent of goods are imported aboard oceangoing vessels, and maritime vessel emissions account for 3 percent of worldwide emissions.
As various regulatory bodies and the Paris Accord impose stricter emissions regimes on global shipping, it is important to determine how to meet targets when sustainable green fuels will not be available at commercial scale for another 10 to 20 years.
Vessel efficiency needs to be improved and carbon intensity reduced to remain in compliance with upcoming International Maritime Organization regulations. One method is clear: near-zero-emission shipping is possible today using wind propulsion. It is economically smart to use sail at this point as a principal means of propulsion, with one issue to be resolved: the size of the vessel, especially the height of the mast.
The conference will conclude with case studies, i.e., real-life examples of merchant ships powered by the wind.
Registration for the conference will remain open until November 15, 2021 at:
www.webb.edu/event/