NEOLINER An environmentally friendly, reliable and competitive cargo vessel

The goal of the NEOLINER project is to construct and operate two transatlantic sail cargo vessels of a roll-on/roll-off design with a deadweight of 6000 tonnes and measuring 136 metres long and 24 metres wide. The main propulsion system will feature two sets of collapsible duplex rigging with an auxiliary diesel-electric engine for manoeuvring in port.

These ships will specialise in transporting atypical or outsized freight. Equipped with over 4000 m² of sail, they will be capable of an average cruising speed of 11 knots and designed to achieve a 90% reduction in fuel consumption and thus carbon footprint.

The Neoliners will take around twelve days to cross the Atlantic. Several potential routes are being examined, including a link between Saint-Nazaire and Baltimore and the United States east coast more generally.

The call to tender for the construction of the vessels will be launched in spring 2018 with a view to them being laid down at the end of the year and delivered during 2020.

The NEOLINER project is also officially recognised by the EMC2 cluster.