Bremerhaven - A kite-drawn German freighter was bound for Venezuela Friday on its maiden voyage, testing out wind- assistance for its diesel engines.
An unexcitable lot, the officers of the new MS Beluga SkySails neither cheered nor embraced when the 160-square-metre flying sail was unfurled late Thursday.
The steersman's only reaction at the historic moment, 30 kilometres out of Bremerhaven, was to stoically grunt, "Huh. It works." Captain Lutz Heldt just nodded approval.
The hi-tech kite is designed to help slash the spiralling cost of fuel in cargo shipping.
The paraglider-type sail is tethered to the bow of the 132-metre- long vessel, owned by Bremen-based Beluga Shipping and operating trans-Atlantic routes.
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A computer adjusts the height and the angle of the sail, which was developed over a period of four years by the Hamburg company SkySails.
"At last we can prove to the world that our system is reliable and will help reduce costs and emissions," said Stefan Wrage, 35, the man behind the project.
The designer spent months testing the new technology on a smaller ship before outfitting the Beluga SkySails.
Flying at a height of 100 to 300 metres, the kite tugs the ship with a force of 3 tons in wind rating at 4 on the Beaufort scale, allowing the vessel's engines to operate at reduced power.
If the kite's debut is successful then Wrage expects orders for another four to eight ships to be fitted with them by the end of next year. "The number could reach 35 by 2009," he added. - Sapa-dpa
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