Honk kong jockey club, a new golf course in hong kong has become the operator one of the worlds first solar ferries.
This technology, similar to that used in hybrid cars, was developed by an Australian company called Solar Sailor ( http://www.solarsailor.com/) .
Electricity created by the solar panels stored in a battery powers the engine while the vessel comes in and out of the harbour. Once out in the open ocean and a faster clip is required, the diesel kicks in.
Solar powered fleats include
- solar eagle
- solar birdie
- solar albatroos
Three of the ferries began operation in 2010 and the Solar Albatross began carrying passengers last year.The solar-sail technology is also in use in two ferries in Shanghai and Sydney.
There are other solar-powered ships in operation such as the catamaran Turanor PlanetSolar, which is circumnavigating the globe exclusively by harnessing the power of the sun.
More ambitiously, Solarsail says the company will soon announce a trial with an Australian mining company to attach a 40m (130ft) tall solar sail to a newly built bulk carrier that will ship iron ore and other raw materials to China.
By harnessing the wind, the company estimates that the giant sail could shave 20% to 40%, or around A$3m (£2m; $3.1m), off a ship's annual fuel bill when travelling at 16 knots (18mph), with the solar panels contributing an extra 3% to 6% saving.
