France's Groupe Renault is teaming with domestic start-up Neoline to develop cargo sailing ships for transatlantic operation.
The companies said they will build two wind-powered vessels by 2020 and 2021 to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and greenhouse gases.
It will run them between Saint-Nazaire in France, the east coast of the US and the French islands of Saint-Pierre & Miquelon off Canada.
Neoline believes its vessels have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90% through the use of wind power primarily, combined with a cost-cutting speed and optimised energy mix, compared to a traditional cargoship on an equivalent route.
The proposed vessel is a 136-metre ro-ro with 4,200 square meters of sail area.
Jean Zanuttini, CEO of Neoline, said: “We are especially pleased that Groupe Renault, a key player in accessible and sustainable mobility for all, is the first partner to join us on board our journey by trusting in Neoline’s maritime transport solution.
"Considering that the traditional sea freight accounts for nearly 3% of CO2 emissions in Europe, Neoline aims to build an innovative French solution to address a global environmental challenge while remaining within an industrial and competitive framework, with the support from its partners.”
Neoline was founded in 2015 and wants to become the first shipowner to fully embrace energy efficiency by relying on wind power as its primary energy source.
Nearly 60% of Renault's car parts are transported by sea.
