TOWT orders six more sailing freighters

French sailing shipping company TOWT (TransOceanic Wind Transport) has ambitious growth plans. Two newly built vessels will be christened in the next few months, and six additional vessels have been ordered with the support of leading investors.

The idea is to transport niche cargoes in dedicated vessels large enough to be economically viable. They point out that current sail cargo operations consist of 35-tonne vessels, but the two ships Artemis and Anemos, now being built in Vietnam at the Piriou yard, can load as much as 1,000 tonnes. Each ship is eighty metres long, has two masts, and will carry 1,100 tonnes of cargo. Per year, each ship will carry up to 20,000 tonnes of goods, TOWT predicts.

500 ships by 2050

Yesterday, TOWT reported the order of six additional ships, which will also be built by the Piriou Group. Three ships are expected to be ready for service in 2026 and the others in 2027. By 2028, the company expects an annual turnover of €60 million and the capacity to transport 200,000 tonnes annually. TOWT’s long-term vision is a fleet of 500 ships by 2050. “After two intensive years of work, we are extremely happy and proud to take this important step in TOWT’s history. With the construction of these 6 additional cargo sailing vessels, we are consolidating our position as a pioneer in transporting goods by sail, by expanding our fleet to 8 vessels,” said Diana Mesa, co-founder and director general, and Guillaume Le Grand, co-founder and president of TOWT.

90% CO2 reduction

Each vessel is propelled by nearly 3,000 square metres of sail, giving speeds of around 10 knots. The sailings will reduce carbon emissions by over 90 per cent compared to conventional cargo ships. Towt reports strong interest from shippers, with the first two ships, ordered in late 2021, nearing completion and the masts recently installed on both vessels. Artemis is scheduled to enter service in late June and Anemos in early July. The service will mainly go between Le Havre, France and New York, as well as sailings to Colombia, Brazil and Guadeloupe.

Passengers

Atlantic crossings between Le Havre, France and New York are expected to take about two weeks. Besides cargo, the ships will be able to carry up to 12 passengers and operate with a crew of seven. (Carrying passengers, as in the busioness model of the defunct Eco-clipper, is an important form of side income, ed.) The company has been operating chartered sailing vessels for 13 years and says it has already transported more than two million products. Some 70 voyages were made with 20 ships. A new round of financing with well-known investors was recently completed. The general public also contributed €5 million, from about 2,000 individuals. The company reports that the additional ships will allow it to increase capacity and increase the frequency of sailings. Their goal is weekly sailings. They also want to open new routes with dedicated additional ships to Asia, Africa and other countries in South America.

Source: the newsletter Maritime Executive.

More information can also be found on the sites of Trade Winds (for subscribers only), Renewable Energy Magazine, and of TOWT.

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