The French shipyard has been contracted by the also French TransOceanic Wind Transport (TOWT) to design and deliver a hybrid, two-mast freighter.

The 81 by 11.9 m ship will offer a capacity of 1,000-1,100t (in bulk on pallets), plus space for 135 225-litre barrels of wine or spirits.

The launching of the vessel is planned for summer 2023.

Additionally, the ship will offer six double cabins for up to 12 passengers.

According to TOWT, the vessel's maximum speed under sail will be over 16 knots, with an average of 10.5.

The two mainsails, two jibs, and one Genoa jib will span over 2,500 m2. Two turbocharged 4-stroke diesel engines will supplement them.

According to Guillaume Le Grand, Chairman, TOWT, the ship "[...] will make it possible to massify its environmental impact by transporting up to 20,000 tonnes of goods per year by sail power."

He also underlined, "The sailing cargo ship [...] will make it possible to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 90% and to economise 20g of CO2 per tonne transported per kilometre. It will therefore save 3,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. In addition to the carbon savings, principally wind-powered propulsion will allow a significant reduction in the air pollution caused by the heavy fuel oil generally used by merchant ships."

TOWT says it has already secured several orders for transporting cocoa, coffee, wine, champagne, and raw sugar. The company intends to open four routes linking the Port of Le Havre with New York, Brazil, Guadelupe, Colombia, Djibouti, and the Ivory Coast.

Photo: Solar Impulse Foundation