TOWT

01/15/22 • 29 min

Hoisting the sail, a supply chain podcast

This week, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a plan to invest $500 Million in Critical Offshore Wind Infrastructure.
This investment is proof that society recognizes offshore wind turbines have little in common with the historic windmills of The Netherlands.

However, a vast majority of maritime supply chain professionals still believe wind propulsion is an obsolete and unreliable technology, completely uncompetitive in today’s shipping framework.

This week's guest, Guillaume Le Grand, is challenging this sentiment though. Le Grand, the CEO and co-founder of TransOceanic Wind Transport, just announced that TOWT is constructing its first modern cargo ship.
The wind-powered ship will have a 1,100-ton goods capacity and will be designed to spend 320 days at sea per year, reducing emissions by more than 90%, i.e. save 3,000 tons of CO2 per year.
Le Grand is an innovator that is proving that we can modernize old technology to satisfy our shipping demands, not to mention reaping the benefits of decreased emissions.

It is important to note that these innovations are being supported by government programs recognizing the shipping industry is changing. NYC DOT has announced the Blue Highways Program, a commitment to encouraging the use of NYC’s waterways to move goods sustainably into and around the City. This new dependency on marine facilities for freight transport is a window of opportunity for maritime professionals to be a part of the green shipping movement.

However, a vast majority of maritime supply chain professionals still believe wind propulsion is an obsolete and unreliable technology, completely uncompetitive in today’s shipping framework.

Previous Episode

Schooner Apollonia

To end our inaugural season, we are back in the Hudson Valley, speaking with Sam Merrett, the captain of the Schooner Apollonia and his supercargo, Brad Vogel.
Sam and his team have successfully transformed a yacht they bought off craigslist into a cargo sailboat that is turning heads in ports throughout New York State. This vessel is completely powered by the wind and has transported all sorts of cargo up and down the Hudson River.
This is not a project that idolizes shipping vessels of the past but instead aims to inspire others to be a part of a growing movement that is committed to lowering the carbon footprint of the shipping industry. Sam argues that not only does the Schooner Apollonia sustainably move cargo but she also delivers products with a story.
Join us as we discuss this story to learn more about the green maritime transportation of the
future and the role sailboats have to play in it.

Next Episode

Statsraad Lehmkuhl

The most beautiful ship sailed majestically into ONE°15 Brooklyn Marina at Brooklyn Bridge Park a few weeks ago, but what makes this ship so extraordinary and why should you pay attention to its ventures?
We welcome Captain Marcus Seidl who shares the story behind the ship and its prospects for the future. Norway's 107-year-old three-masted tall ship, 278-foot sailing vessel was built in Germany in 1914 and then gifted to England as a war prize shortly after World War One.
It is now embarking on an exciting voyage called the One Ocean Expedition. This expedition will cover 55,000 nautical miles and visit 36 countries around the world over the span of 20 months.
It has been tasked to measure water and air quality throughout the journey. The goal is to create awareness and share knowledge about the important role of the ocean for a sustainable future. In addition, the Lehmkuhl is a training ship and will be a training site for maritime officers. Here, officers will undergo intensive instruction as a part of their education and learn good seamanship.
Join us as we discuss topics ranging from dangerous voyages through Cape Horn to sail assist technologies, and learn about some of the challenges and innovations within the maritime sector.