Cases
What’s the true essence of what DSM brings to this market? Our bright science is helping to improve peoples’ lives and preserve the planet - every day. Read on to find out how.
Green shipping: The answer is blowing in the wind
Imagine a gargantuan industrial cargo vessel being pulled along by a giant kite, high up in the clouds.
It may sound far-fetched but it’s actually happening today – with help from DSM.
The SkySail is a giant 160 square-metre sail that generates the equivalent thrust of an Airbus jet engine in wind speeds of up to 180km per hour.
The sail is fastened to the vessel using a rope. Not just any rope, but a super-strong towing rope made with Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™. Despite its enormous strength, Dyneema® is far lighter and more flexible than metal ropes, which would simply be too heavy for the job.
The result: Many of the world’s leading shipping lines – including Beluga and Wessels – have joined us for the ride. And reduced their oil consumption by a third. More>
Net savings - with a difference
As any fisherman will tell you, the world’s oceans are distinctly less crowded than they once were. Putting fish on our table has always been a notoriously hazardous job. But in recent years it’s became increasingly expensive – both environmentally and financially due to sky-high fuel costs.
Because they are so light - not to mention waterproof - fishing nets and lines made with Dyneema® are easier for boats to drag through the water, which in turn lowers fuel consumption. We wanted to find out exactly how much fuel was saved – so we asked the fishermen themselves by spending a year tracking two Atlantic-bound fishing operations specializing in herring and mackerel.
The results were astounding. Operators generally achieved fuel savings of around 10%, which in one case amounted to almost €100,000 in one year.
To put that in an environmental perspective that’s an annual reduction in emissions equivalent to 100 cars! More>
