A UK startup is mixing past and present with innovative new sails, bringing wind energy back to cargo ships, writes Oregon's The Cool Down.

GT Wings is set to equip a 124-metre cargo ship with its new AirWing energy harvesting sails, which promise to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by up to 30 per cent, according to a company news release.

"GT's unique selling point lies in its patented airflow technology, delivering industry-leading thrust from a compact unit," the company said in its announcement.

"This smaller footprint allows the AirWing to be used on a wide range of vessels with minimal impact on cargo operations. The company aims to make its products a must have for shipowners seeking to meet stricter regulatory standards."

The sail technology looks like three huge wings standing tall on the bow of the ship. As NPR explained, the vessel sails "under minimum power from its giant engine as computerized sensors adjust the fiberglass wings to take advantage of the wind's speed and direction", saving on fuel and preventing air pollution.

Cargo shipping accounts for 3 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, according to The New York Times, about as much as the aviation industry. If the industry were a country, it would be the sixth-largest contributor in the world, according to multiple sources.

Other companies are working on similar technology. Startups CoFlow Jet and BAR Technologies have created similar hard sails to reduce the need for fossil fuels to power cargo ships.

And the industry is working on more changes on a grander scale.

Earlier this year, the BBC reported the Port of Rotterdam Authority connected with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore to form a long-distance green shipping corridor, which requires ships to be fuelled by sources that produce little to no pollution.