Electric powered Shipping!

 Underway?

Norway is leading the way in electric engine power for vehicle  roll on/off ferries and smaller shipping from Rhine type barges to coasters and there is a demand that other vessels in the oil industry and up-lifting vessels along with cruise liners are the next in line for these conversions.

There are many concerns in relation to breaking down in rough seas and drifting on to rocks, if not colliding with other vessels, but so far many vessels will still have their tradition fossil fuel burning engines as back-up?

The future does look bright and with the advancement in theology and the options of already entering hydrogen powered vessels conversions and new ship design can only make things better to cut the horrid carbon emissions world wide!

Ships. Part-One.

A Essential Need.

The first ship ever built, was perhaps Noah's Ark? What we know of this vessel is to be found in the Bile, Tanakh and the Koran. We believe it to be made of Gopher wood, but since we do not know what Gopher is, it may not have been wood/

Ever since humans have had water, they have built all types of boats from hollowed out trees to reed rafts, boats and coracles. The boat was a vehicle to move from A to B/Z, to carry one or two persons across a lake or a river and eventually the sea's and Oceans.

Goods, weapons and other loads, boats for warfare and for fishing were perhaps the first essentials. Today ships come in all sizes and shapes, some are used to carry general cargo, others are much larger such as the bulk carriers and carry coal, ores and even the largest tankers are for gas and crude oil.

They all work on the same design and principles and are mostly of the same shape, apart from specialist ships. Humans have increased size and development in the warship from sailed cannon carriers to nuclear powered aircraft carriers such as the Nimitz class.

We also live in the age of underwater travel and their are a whole host of passenger ferry ships from river craft to super luxury liners. 

But what is the future of shipping?

Roll on, roll off..

RO/RO Ferries.

This is the type of shipping that brings in the buck's. Right across the globe, where ever a ferry is needed the 'roll on -roll off system is employed. 

Over the years there have been many accidents and disaster in relation to ships leaving or entering ports with their doors open, before actually docking or leaving. Water has entered and ships have capsized with sometimes great loss of life. Greed seems to be the main factor in many of these cases, despite international agreements on safety.

Originally the 'roll on- off concept was for ships that carried trains and later adapted for truckers. This is probably the best system to date and will continue until some other shipping design replaces what we have today.