Neoliner Origin nears completion
Folding rigid sails have been installed on the Neoliner Origin, which was launched in Turkey in January. A symbolic milestone and an emotional moment for the entire Neoline team and partners.
The 136-metre sailing and diesel-electric ro-ro freighter will operate between the Atlantic coast of France and the port of Baltimore, with stopovers in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and Halifax (Nova Scotia). Like the ship itself, this transatlantic route is a first, with new destinations and a wide spectrum of rolling and non-standard cargo, including refrigerated containers and oversized packages.
The freighter will have a commercial speed of 11 knots and sail monthly. The distance between St Nazaire and Baltimore is 13 days westbound and 15 days eastbound. Thanks to an additional speed margin of 3 knots that the operator can call upon in case of delays, Neoline will ensure regularity and punctuality of sailings and arrivals, meeting customers’ needs and deadlines.
Neoline was born in 2011 from an informal group of nine professionals led by ro-ro captain Michel Péry. The team was convinced that sailing was the only solution: instantly available and powerful enough to propel heavy cargo ships. In addition to wind as the primary propulsion force, the ship is supported by auxiliary diesel-electric propulsion, allowing it to maintain its sailing schedule.
Rigid sails
The ship is equipped with two SolidSail rigged carbon masts, designed by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, which can be folded to pass bridges and access most ports. Each mast can hoist one 1,050m² SolidSail and one 450m² jib (from Onesails), making a total of 3,000m² of sail area. Underwater, the vessel is equipped with deep retractable anti-drift fins, designed by Fouré Lagadec, which are efficient and particularly useful when sailing against the wind.
Three cargo spaces
Equipped with a 12-metre-wide loading ramp, the Neoliner Origin can handle a wide range of parcels and packages in three loading areas (a main garage of 2,100 m², a double deck of 500 m² and a lower garage of 950 m²). Its transport capacity is optimised for loading both light cargo (cars, pallets, etc.) and oversized packages up to 9.8 m high and weighing up to 200 tonnes, without the need for lifting.
Three sailing modes
Neoliner Origin has two types of propulsion systems: sails and a mechanical propeller. The latter consists of an adjustable pitch propeller coupled to a PTI/PTO gearbox linked to an ABC diesel engine with an average speed of 3,200 kW and an electric motor of 900 kW. This allows the powertrain to operate efficiently in any configuration and allows future integration of batteries. So there are three sailing modes: sailing only, mechanical propulsion (mainly for manoeuvring) and hybrid.
80% reduction
Neoliner Origin aims to reduce fossil fuel consumption by more than 80% compared to a conventional ship of the same size sailing at 15 knots. But there is more, as Guilhem Péan, technical manager at Neoline, explains: “In addition to fuel savings, our ship is much quieter than conventional motorised vessels, which significantly reduces the impact on marine mammals and the environment. And the less the engines and equipment are used, the less maintenance and spare parts or consumables are needed. Moreover, the rolling motion of the ship is dampened when the sails are used, improving comfort.”
Jean Zanuttini, CEO of Neoline, added: “We are actively working on plans for other versions of the Neoliner Origin. Our goal is to scale up the concept and increase cargo capacity, while striving for emission-free shipping.”
Sources: LinkedIn (with video) and Rina.
Image: Riviera.
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