The German start-up Cargokite is developing ships that are to be powered entirely by wind energy.
The young company has entered into a partnership with Lomarlabs to develop so-called “micro-ships”. These are to be powered by large kites and use AI for autonomous operation.
Cargokite plans to make low-emission or even zero-emission transportation possible with these micro-ships. As an additional advantage, the company claims that the ships are particularly flexible to use. An AI-supported route planner will calculate the optimum route, taking into account the weather conditions, and also predict the ship’s estimated arrival time.
Cargokite leaves the concept phase
In 2023, the start-up presented its first concept, a 9-metre-long catamaran equipped with a 200 m2 kite and hydrofoils. In poor wind conditions or when navigating in the harbour, a diesel engine will initially provide support, but the plan is to switch to electric motors in the long term.
So far, a 15 m-long prototype that can carry a single container has been built. A design for a 16 TEU micro-ship is already available, and the plan is to make them even larger in the future: Cargokite plans to replace the capacity of an 800-TEU container ship with a contiguous fleet of 16 kite ships.
The start-up owes its successful first steps to investors such as the US capital firm SOSV. German companies, including the breakbulk shipping company MACS and the Ems-Fehn Group, have signed letters of intent to work with Cargokite in the future.
Lomarlabs sees potential in wind power
The support of Lomarlabs, a corporate venture of Lomar Shipping, is now enabling the start-up to take the next leap. “This new type of ship has the potential to reshape the organisation of port and maritime logistics,” said Lomarlabs CEO Stylianos Papageorgiou. “It brings with it a paradigm shift in operations that is only now becoming possible thanks to advances in automation technology. It also promises to be a groundbreaking solution for the decarbonisation of shipping.”
Lomarlabs and Cargokite plan to launch the first micro-ships in 2027. “This collaboration gives us direct access to a leading, climate-conscious shipowner,” said Cargokite co-founder Marcus Bischoff. “It will accelerate the construction of our Cargokite ships at scale.”
