Slashing CO2Superfast hydrofoil cargo ships.
Big Idea
There are two options when it comes to intercontinental shipping today. Airfreight is quick but costly and also the dirtiest way to move cargo. Sea shipping is far cheaper, but crossing the Pacific can take weeks and burns some of the dirtiest fuels on Earth, spewing sulfur dioxide and a host of greenhouse gases into our skies. Together, air and sea freight represent 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
How it Works
Boundary Layer’s engineering combines known hydrofoil physics with patented designs to build 160-container ships that run on hydrogen. Carbon composites can now meet the structural demands of large hydrofoils thanks to their strength, stiffness, and lightness. This enables their cargo ships to cross the Pacific 3x faster than conventional vessels, at a cost estimated to be 4x cheaper than air freight.
Unfair Advantage
Hydrofoils will allow their ships to travel up to 40 knots, opening new options for shipping perishable, bulky, and dangerous goods. They’re also more efficient at high speeds and handle better in open seas than traditional ships. These advantages will help reduce the price of freight shipping while dramatically trimming the shipping industry’s carbon sails, especially if they can transition to hydrogen fuel.
ED KEARNEY CEO & CO-FOUNDER
Ed formerly founded GownTown and TahDah Productions. He has a Master’s in research of coastal engineering from University of New South Wales.
JEREMY OSBOURNE CTO & CO-FOUNDER
Jeremy was formerly an engineering consultant for EnergyAE and holds a Bachelor of Engineering from University of New South Wales.