A NEW class of micro ships that use kite systems as the primary method of propulsion are currently in development.
Lomar Shipping’s corporate venture lab, lomarlabs, have announced the signing of a collaboration agreement with maritime tech start-up CargoKite to develop the innovative vessels.
The design intends to enable low or zero-emission transportation, with the micro ships able to operate in challenging or niche trades.
The vessels will each be operated by a proprietary artificial intelligence-powered route planner, which calculates the optimal route and determines the vessel’s estimated time of arrival based on weather conditions.
Managing director of lomarlabs, Stylianos Papageorgiou said, “This radical new ship type has the potential to reframe the way port and maritime logistics are organised.
“It brings a paradigm shift to operations, which is only now becoming possible thanks to advances made in automation technologies. In addition, it promises to be a groundbreaking decarbonisation solution for shipping.”
CargoKite’s technology is said to be a spin-off from Munich’s Technical University, and will be enhanced during development with lomarlabs, with the first ships are due to be launched in 2027.
Co-founder Marcus Bischoff of CargoKite believes the collaboration with lomarlabs accelerates the readiness of their design.
“This collaboration provides CargoKite with direct access to a leading, climate-conscious shipowner, and aims to accelerate the full-scale build of our CargoKite vessels.
“This collaboration aims to develop sea transport that is not only 100% emission-free, but also supports the goals of modern supply chains: customisation, just-in-time delivery, full transparency and cost savings.”
CargoKite’s official website acknowledges that ocean shipping is the cheapest method of transporting goods, but cites a lack of sustainability, resilience, and slowness as significant drawbacks, and posits their autonomous micro ship concept can provide a solution.
The company say the micro shops can provide direct, point to point connections between small ports, avoiding bottlenecks in large ports, whilst being faster and emissions free.
Lomar CEO Nicholas Georgiou commented, “For ship owners and operators to meet ambitious regulatory targets cost-effectively, we must see a surge in new solutions beyond the currently available technologies.
“This collaboration aims at offering a new generation of seaborne transportation, playing a crucial role in the challenging task of decarbonising maritime operations.”
In 2023, CargoKite developed a proof of concept with a nine-metre catamaran equipped with a kite system that the company say was a successful demonstration and underlines their potential to positively disrupt the shipping industry.
CargoKite says they are now in the design phase of their full-size pioneer vessel and the construction of its demonstrator prototype.
