There are alternatives to everyday, on-road transport. With blow-up sails for greener shipping and high-performance racing tyres made from sunflower oil, Michelin is thinking outside the box and presenting two innovative solutions for sustainable transport at this year’s Movin’On summit. The company’s goal is for all of the group’s products to be made from 100% sustainable, renewable or recycled materials by 2050 so that future generations can enjoy climate-neutral transport.
Working in conjunction with two inventors from Switzerland, Michelin has developed the Wing Sail Mobility Project, or WISAMO for short. The automated system utilises the power of wind, improving a ship’s fuel efficiency by up to 20%. It can be used on merchant vessels as well as on pleasure craft. With a retractable telescopic mast, it lets ships navigate into ports or around bridges without problems. Michelin wishes to test and perfect the sail system in real-life conditions in cooperation with skipper Michel Desjoyaux. The sails are intended to be used on a merchant ship for the first time in 2022, with Michelin expecting the system to go into production after completing the test stage.
Sunflower oil, pine resin, orange peel and aluminium tins are just some of the ingredients in Michelin’s new high-performance racing tyre. Combined with a heavy proportion of natural rubber and the inclusion of recycled soot from old tyres, sustainable materials make up 46% of this tyre.
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