The MS Turanor has 5 times the horsepower installed in direct PV as it needs on average and can sail forever. It doesn’t even look bad. Fuel costs are an enormous component of shipping, this is a very strong proof of concept, especially if this could be extended to winged boats that reach higher speeds with less energy. For freight shipping speed is only a minor issue, while fuel costs and pollution are enormous. Perhaps the huge ships we see today should be replaced by multiple smaller vessels moving using a comniantion of sails and solar.
Surface area of solar modules: 537 m2
PV panel efficiency: 18.8%
Installed PV power: 93.5 kW (127.0 hp)
Average engine consumption: 20 kW (26.8 hp)
Crew: 6 people
Number of people that can go on board: 40
Autonomy: never-ending solar navigation
