In olden times ships sailed on energy captured from the wind. This was not ideal though. Rowing boats had to tow them from the jetty when they departed on a journey, and help them to dock when they returned. If the wind did not blow, then they could spend weeks becalmed far out in the deep sea. Now if they had energy from the sun plus batteries, sailing could have been much more efficient.
Fossil Fuel First Without Energy From the Sun
Lead-acid batteries made their first appearance in 1859. But they were not nearly powerful enough to propel commercial sailing ships. And so steam engines engines provided the hybrid support using coal instead. Visionaries may have glanced upward at the sun.
But those newfangled coal-power engines were so successful that they forgot all about energy from the sun, as a new era of ocean travel dawned. Diesel power took over from coal power later, while the decades rolled on. Meanwhile, the world slumbered, as carbon dioxide stacked up in earth’s atmosphere.
Batteries and the Sun Are a Cleaner Alternative
Marine architects have revisited battery power as earth’s surface steadily warms. This time they have better batteries for moving to and from jetties, and no worries when the wind does not blow. However, commerce has been slow in taking the opportunity up.
Norwegian shipping company Hurtigruten has taken a bold step forward expressing its faith entirely in batteries. It is rolling out plans to build a zero emission battery cruise ship with these impressive numbers:
- 270 cabins accommodating 500 guests and 99 crew members.
- 443 feet long, 1,500 m² solar panels with surface area of 750 m².
- 60 megawatts of batteries, 300 to 350 nautical mile cruising range.
The sails capturing energy from the sun will retract downward when on pure battery power. But they will extend 165 feet upwards to catch free energy from the sky for recharging the batteries.
Norway’s fjord waterways stretching inland will breathe a sigh relief, as batteries and energy from the sun explore their beauty without disturbing the peace. But then that was how it was a century and more ago, when all they heard was the creaking of rigging, and the rhythmic splashing of rowing boat oars.
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