Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2010

Is this the cargo ship of the future? While sea freighting has a much smaller carbon footprint than shipping by air, truck or train, it’s still a long way off being environmentally friendly. The UT Wind Challenger aims to change that. Designed by researchers at the University of Tokyo, in collaboration with a number of Japanese shipping companies, this high-tech vessel will harness enormous, 50m-tall sails to reduce fuel consumption by close to 70 percent. The first one is due for completion within five years, at an estimated cost of ¥1 billion for the sail system alone.