Airbus will charter a fleet of three new low-emission ships to transport aircraft subassemblies between production facilities in Europe and in the U.S., the company said Wednesday.
The European aircraft manufacturer has commissioned French shipowner Louis Dreyfus Armateurs to build, own and operate the vessels that will enter service in 2026, it said in a news release.
The ships will be powered by a combination of six rotors–large, rotating cylinders that generate lift thanks to the wind–and two dual-fuel engines running on maritime diesel oil and e-methanol.
Each vessel will have the capacity to transport around 70 40-foot containers and six single-aisle aircraft subassemblies such as wings, fuselage, engine pylons and tail planes, compared with three to four sets with current cargo ships.
The new fleet is expected to reduce average annual transatlantic carbon dioxide emissions from 68,000 metric tons to 33,000 mt by 2030, Airbus said.
This will contribute to the company’s commitment to reduce its overall industrial emissions by up to 63% by the end of the decade, compared to 2015 levels, Airbus added.
Ships transport more than 80% of global trade and account for almost 3% of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Maritime Organization.
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–Reporting by Abdul Latheef, [email protected]; Editing by Jeff Barber, [email protected]
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