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A solar-powered airship is being built to transport cargo more greenly

By Donna Lu

2 October 2019

Varialift Airship concept image

A concept image of the Varialift airship

Varialift Airship

Airships were once considered the future of flight. Now, they are being touted as a greener method of transport.

A solar-powered airship being built by UK-based firm Varialift Airships could eventually be used as a low-emissions way to freight cargo internationally. On a transatlantic flight between the UK and the US, the airship would use 8 percent of the fuel of a conventional jet aeroplane, says Varialift CEO Alan Handley.

Airships – lighter-than-air vehicles that rely on gas to lift them into flight…

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