French grants: 28.2 million euros

In many countries promising initiatives for sustainable maritime technology still remain at the stage of good intentions. In France, however, numerous initiatives have been rewarded with grants.

The French initiative that promotes research and innovation in the maritime economy is Corimer. The name stands for Comité d’orientation de la recherche et de l’innovation et de la mer. The programme helps to finance new maritime projects. The fund promotes the development of safe and sustainable technologies at sea. It supports plans for clean shipping and wind energy.

Six new winners, €21.4 million: the second selection round of the ‘CORIMER Low-Carbon Ships’ call for proposals has just been announced. From sail-powered transport and biomethane engines to drones to combat biofouling and electric patrol boats for harbour pilots: the selection encompasses various ways of making shipping low-carbon.

The six winners of this second round of the Corimer call for projects have just been announced. The programme, which was launched in January 2025 and is managed by ADEME on behalf of the General Secretariat for Investment, aims to support French solutions for reducing emissions in shipping. In the first round, in February 2026, three projects were selected for a total of 6.8 million euros. This second round involved 17 applications, of which six were selected, for a total of 21.4 million euros. In total, nine projects are now being supported by ‘France 2030’ under this call for proposals, totalling 28.2 million euros.

This new group includes the project by Grain de Sail Shipping, which is being carried out in partnership with Chantiers de l’Atlantique and focuses on sail-powered shipping. The Breton shipping company has been active in this sector since 2020 and unveiled the final plans for its third vessel in mid-June 2026: a 162-metre container ship, fitted with three retractable Solid Sail masts from Chantiers de l’Atlantique, providing nearly 6,900 m² of sail area. (See our in-depth article on this project). The vessel is intended for transatlantic services between Northern Europe, New York and Guadeloupe, with six return voyages per year. The Corimer funding comes on top of a project that is already underway from an industrial and commercial perspective.

The EO3 project, led by Energy Observer in collaboration with EO Concept, consists of a Breton laboratory vessel designed to test, under real-world conditions, a multi-energy chain combining various low-carbon sources on board, including ammonia, building on the experience of the Energy Observer demonstration vessel.

Searenity, a project by Subsea Tech in collaboration with Naval Group, ENSTA, the University of South Brittany and CMA CGM, focuses on the development of an autonomous and modular underwater drone for removing biofouling – the growth that increases hull drag and fuel consumption.

Corsica Favorite 2025, a project by the SailCoop cooperative in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, aims to create a fossil-fuel-free passenger ship for crossings to Corsica, with the objective of reducing CO₂ emissions per passenger by at least 80 per cent. (see our in-depth article)

Vectra, a project by the pilots’ union of the ports of Marseille and the Gulf of Fos in collaboration with Mauric and Alternatives Énergies, involves the development of a high-speed electric speedboat, suitable for mass production, for coastal operations and piloting ships at the entrances to major ports, designed in collaboration with the pilots themselves.

Biomogas, an initiative by Sapaic Industries in collaboration with FEV, involves a 1,000 kW V12 gas engine running on biomethane, developed in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The funding should enable the engine to be tested and its electronic control unit to be developed.

Source: Corimer
Photo above: Energy Observer

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