Wind power is making a comeback in the maritime shipping industry, as exemplified by a new high-tech cargo-bearing catamaran from the French firm VELA Transportation (cropped, courtesy of VELA).
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The global shipping firm DHL embarked on a vehicle electrification journey some time ago, and now the French branch of the company has placed a stake on wind power, too. The footprint is small, consisting of reserved space on a forthcoming fleet of sailing ships, but it is another indication that a technology first used millennia ago is still relevant today as the global economy transitions — slowly — away from fossil fuels.
Wind Power Comes Back To The Shipping Industry
DHL’s latest decarbonization step is being enabled by the French startup VELA Transportation. In contrast to the three-ton shipping containers and gigantic ships that characterize the modern seagoing cargo industry, VELA has focused it business on lightweight pallets packed into ships that are small enough to be pushed across the Atlantic crossing, with wind power alone providing the propulsion.
