Neoliner Origin, the first cargo ship primarily powered by wind, is 136 meters long(446 ft) and can transport 5,300 tons of cargo over long distances. And it does so with 80 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions, the French company, Neoliner, promises. After two years of construction, it left the shipyard and successfully crossed the Atlantic. From now on, it will provide a connection between Saint-Nazaire, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, and Baltimore for both cargo and passengers.
Sails instead of fuel
The cargo ship features two rigid, specially designed carbon sails, providing 3,000 square meters(32,291 square feet) of sail area and enabling the giant vessel to reach a speed of 11 knots. Mounted on Solidsail rigging designed by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, they can be hoisted onto the approximately 80-meter-high(262 ft) masts at the touch of a button. Thanks to these sails and the wind, the cargo ship is expected to consume five times less fuel than a conventional vessel of the same size. A highly efficient weather routing system developed by D-ICE Engineering is installed to calculate optimal sail usage and the most suitable wind conditions.
The Neoliner Origin is a so-called Ro-Ro ship (for ‘Roll on Roll off’), meaning that cargo is loaded onto the ship using ramps rather than cranes. It has 1,200 cubic meters(42,377 cubic foot) of cargo space across three compartments and can transport containers. Thirteen crew members are on board, and it also accommodates 12 paying passengers seeking a truly unique voyage. Although admittedly, the experience doesn’t come cheap.
It was built in Turkey
The image below shows the world’s longest wind-powered cargo ship, Neoliner Origin, during its christening on January 30, 2025, in the Turkish port of Tuzla, located outside Istanbul. Neoliner Origin was designed by the French company Neoline and built by the Turkish shipyard RMK Marine. It was a mammoth project spanning more than 12 years.
Minor mishaps during the maiden voyage
On its first Atlantic crossing, not everything went smoothly, and the Neoliner Origin arrived in Baltimore two days late. The shipping company reported that the top plate of the mainsail mast at the stern was damaged during the crossing and needed repair. According to Ingenieur.de, a daily news media website, there was also a problem with the aft screen, a component that regulates water flow at the stern. Therefore, the engine had to be used at short notice. Despite this minor hiccup, Neoline reported that the voyage was a success and that the technical systems functioned as expected.
The Neoliner Origin is undoubtedly an essential step towards more sustainable transport on the world’s oceans. Whether the new sailing technology is efficient and has a chance in the fiercely competitive container transport market remains to be seen. However, in terms of environmental friendliness, the cargo sailing ship has already won.
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