LR to build world’s biggest sailing cargo ship

LR announced that it has joined the Quadriga sustainable shipping project – an initiative from Hamburg-based Sailing Cargo, which aims to build the world’s biggest sailing cargo ship using hybrid technology for CO2 emissions reduction.

The project outlines a plan to build a 170-meter car carrier, capable of carrying between 1,700 and 2,000 cars, which will be equipped with four DynaRig masts and will operate on hybrid propulsion with sails and diesel-electric engines, and an optional battery system for peak loads. The vessel will be capable of sailing at 10-12 knots with the aim of reaching 14-16 knots in the next few years through combined expertise.

Wind-assisted propulsion offers one of the few realistic options for introducing renewable power into shipping. The IMO target for CO2 emissions requires a 50% reduction in global ship-sourced CO2 emissions by 2020, this means significant changes in the industry are required. LR’s Low Carbon Pathways 2050 study found that low carbon ships will need to enter the fleet by 2030 to help achieve this goal.

The big question is whether the technology will be available on the scale needed to achieve the level of reduction required. The consensus is that engineering advances alone and the associated efficiency gains will simply not be enough to meet the IMO target. Fuels will have to change and the Quadriga project provides one of the potential viable alternative solutions.

Uwe Köhler, founder of the Quadriga project outlined that the project combines traditionally proven systems with cutting edge technology and aims to provide a solution to achieving the CO2 emissions reduction target