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 is the CEO and co-founder of TransOceanic Wind Transport and has 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.