Successful inauguration of Beluga SkySails technology

摘要

The world's first freighter to be powered by wind with the help of an innovative towing kite system has completed its pioneering commercial voyage across the Atlantic Ocean with flying colours. The day finally arrived on 5 February. The «Beluga SkySails», the first multi-purpose carrier of Bremen (Germany)-based Beluga Shipping to be enhanced by wind power, sailed into the port of Guanta, in Puerto La Cruz, 320 km west of Caracas (Venezuela). The vessel had been named with much fanfare in Hamburg (Germany) on 15 December last year (see ITJ 1-2/2008, page 13), and departed from Bremerhaven (Germany) for its maiden voyage on 22 January. It carried a load of components for a particle board factory in South America. The contractor for this prestigious shipment was no less a player than DHL Global Forwarding, the sea and airfreight forwarding business of DHL Deutsche Post. The load was the first of a total of eight partial shipments to South America.