The small sail-solar ship is specially designed to be used by developing countries. It will be built in Chittagong, Bangladesh and launched early next year.<\/p>\n
The ship, s\/v Greenheart, will be designed as an ocean-going hybrid that uses an innovative combination of traditional sail and solar power. It will produce no emissions and will be simple to use and maintain, and extremely economical, making it ideal to use in developing countries. With a shallow enough draft to access thousands of miles of undeveloped, underserved coastline and rivers, these ships can also load and unload cargo directly from a beach where there is no port.<\/p>\n
The plan is for hundreds of these vessels to be owned and operated by the people and communities they serve. Greenheart ships will bring independence from the burden of fuel costs, increase competitiveness and provide access to the world’s trade system for communities that live on very remote coastlines. This means that even these people will be able transport and sell their merchandise on their own terms. In addition to merchant activities, the craft can be adapted to applications ranging from ferries, artisanal fishing, research, patrol vessels and more.<\/p>\n
Greenheart is already collaborating with sailing and development organisations in the South Pacific to implement the first sustainable shipping network in that region. They have also been invited to numerous ports along their route, throughout Northern Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Africa and the Far East. There are several testing, research, community and academic programs planned along the route.<\/p>\n