A Solar Sailor vessel.
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They have designed movable wings covered in photovoltaic panels that automatically track the direction and strength of the sun and wind - adjusting their angle to best capture this energy.
"With modern materials and technology, you don't need a crew to set the sails," said Solar Sailor's chief executive, Robert Dane. "You just push a button and let a computer do it. It's a new age."
The Australian technology is suitable for everything from unmanned naval drones to cargo ships, and is even used on Sydney Harbour: the 100-seater Sydney Solar Sailor ferry has been operating since the 2000 Olympics.
In October 2008, Solar Sailor signed an agreement with Cosco, China's biggest shipping line, to retrofit two tankers. They will attach solar-powered aluminium sails the size of jumbo-jet wings to each vessel, harnessing enough wind energy to reduce fuel costs up to 40 per cent, and enough solar energy to meet around five per cent of the ship's needs.
The results of the trial will determine the viability of the technology for the rest of Cosco's 117-strong fleet, as well as its potential to be incorporated into the development of new vessels.
Looking to the future, Dane is confident about the uptake of renewable energy on the high seas: "It's hard to predict a time line, but at some point in the future I can see all ships using solar sails...it's inevitable," he said.
