CONSTRUCTION is set to begin on a “world’s first” open-hatch sail-powered container ship developed by French company Windcoop.
The company confirmed that, following four years of work on the vessel, the construction order for the company’s first ship was placed with Turkish shipyard RMK marine.
The 91-metre length overall box ship will see propulsion via three 350 square metre rigid wings designed by Computed Wing Sail, and is projected to have an average sailing speed of 9 knots.
Windcoop says the vessel will see CO2 savings of 60% compared to a conventional cargo ship.
With a reported capacity for 210 twenty-foot equivalent TEUs, including 40 reefer plugs for refrigerated cargo, the ship will operate on a route between France and Madagascar.
Chairman of Windcoop, Matthieu Brunet said, “After four years of development, we are finally taking decisive steps toward realizing what was once considered an audacious dream”.
The vessel’s first service route will reportedly focus on secondary ports that are often neglected due to a lack of capacity or equipment to load goods, including Tamatave, Diego Suarez, and Majunga in Madagascar. The route between Marseilles in the south of France and Madagascar will have a projected transit time of 31 days.
The total project amount cost €28.5 million, according to Windcoop, with construction reportedly due to begin in 2026 and trials, delivery, and commissioning in mid-2027.
The company confirmed a second ship is already under consideration in order to guarantee a monthly frequency, and that new routes are being prepared to extend the company’s impact.
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