By my estimates solar power would cover 0.3% of its propulsion cost, or 5% of its other electrical needs
Estimating 11000-14000kW needed at the shaft and up to 2000kW for other electrical needs
It reads like there are not that many panels on the ship either.
As is evidenced by their decision to go with dual fuel, the point of the solar was not to cover propulsion costs.
Nor does it even seem to cover a significant portion of auxiliary needs
Except it does.
This power helps run the ship’s operations, lowering fuel use and making the ship more energy efficient.
This is textbook peak shaving. Not to mention the engineering feat of integrating solar with LNG for this cargo application.
Hopping into the comments to decry the ship for not doing full propulsion via solar just shows your ignorance. It’s like complaining about a hammer for not being able to screw in a fastener.
It’s just greenwashing. Companies do it all the time. Slapp some solar on it or use some insignificant amount of recycling and you got your press release which lazy journalist just have to copy. That lead to clickbait articles.
And if you’re being honest you’re just defending it because the “by China” in the title.
Accusations of greenwashing are different than accusations of bad engineering. That’s a different conversation.
This is an odd strawman to construct
doing full propulsion via solar just shows your ignorance
The only ignorant person here my friend is you, nobody has said or suggested such a thing
Soo, then why did you characterize the solar power as being inadequate for propulsion? That is a meaningless thing to point out - given how the solar is not intended for propulsion. What was your original point?
You sound pretty mad bro
The wattage cannot plausibly be satisfied by those panels. Maritime traffic is ridiculously cheap and environmentally friendly compared to what it does. But it does an enormous thing.
