A French joint venture has selected a shipyard to build a new sail-powered ro-ro to carry rocket parts for French aerospace player ArianeGroup.
The 121-metre ship, called Canopee, will be constructed by Dutch company Neptune Shipyard.
The ro-ro will carry parts for the Ariane 6 rocket from Europe to the launch pad in French Guiana.
Once delivered at the end of 2022, the vessel will be operated by Alizes, a joint venture between Jifmar Offshore Services and Zephyr & Boree.
Global competition
The yard won the contract following an international call for tenders. No price has been revealed.
"The choice of a European shipyard seemed obvious to us to fit into the DNA of the Ariane project," Jifmar chief executive Jean-Michel Berud said.
He added his company has trusted the yard for many years to build cargo vessels that meet the highest industry standards. Neptune has built more than 15 units for Jifmar.
Hull tank testing is scheduled for the coming weeks, while the laying of the keel will follow in the second quarter of 2021.
The construction of the vessel will take place between the Netherlands and Poland.
The ship was designed by VPLP, whose subsidiary AYRO is supplying four Oceanwings to the ro-ro.
Canopee has a bridge in the bow and an open deck aft with high sides to protect the cargo.
30-metre sails
The 30-metre-high sails provide a total surface area of 1,452 square metres, reducing fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by an average of 30%.
They are automated and reefable, VPLP said.
Canopee also features optimised aero-hydrodynamics, dual-fuel engines running on LNG and diesel, and solar panels.
Nils Joyeux, CEO of Z&B, added: "We look forward to operating this vessel on behalf of ArianeGroup and showing the full potential of wind propulsion in the merchant navy."
He said: "On the one hand, the option of a European shipyard secures this project in the context of uncertainty generated by the Covid-19 and its repercussions. On the other hand, we hope that this will allow Europe to take the lead in the construction of innovative vessels equipped with wind propulsion."
