Transporting motor vehicles using a sailing vessel is the core objective of Neoline, a French company founded in 2015 in Nantes by a group of Merchant Navy officers led by Michel Pery and Jean Zanuttini. This vision gave rise to the Neoliner project, a 136-metre-long ro-ro vessel capable of carrying up to 478 cars or 5,000 tonnes of mixed cargo, propelled by a 3,000-square-metre sail system. The project moved to the shipyard in January 2023, when the Turkish Rmk Marine facility in Tuzla began construction, launching the hull in January 2025. The shipowner aims to commence operations by June of this year on a transatlantic route linking the ports of Saint-Nazaire, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Baltimore, and Halifax.
The Neoliner Origin measures 136 metres in length and 24.2 metres in width, with a variable draught ranging from 5.5 metres in ports to 14 metres in open sea. Its structure has been designed to maximise aerodynamic efficiency and cargo capacity, offering a garage with a total of 1,200 linear metres. The ship can also accommodate up to twelve passengers in six double cabins, in addition to a core crew of thirteen, extendable to twenty members. Among its technological features, it includes a battery room for zero-emission electric navigation and a rescue craft equipped with a recovery system.
The propulsion system integrates sails with hybrid diesel-electric engines. The rigging features two 76-metre retractable carbon masts, equipped with next-generation Solid Sail technology: a mainsail covering 1,100 square metres and a flexible jib of 400 square metres. Alongside wind propulsion, the cargo ship is fitted with a 4,000 kW diesel-electric system, incorporating a variable-pitch propeller, two bow thrusters, and an aft tunnel thruster, each rated at 450 kW.
The main engine delivers 3,184 kW of power, supported by two 665 kVA electrical generators. To ensure efficient and environmentally friendly port operations, the ship is equipped with auxiliary engines running on low-sulphur marine diesel and selective catalytic reduction systems to cut nitrogen oxide emissions. This propulsion system allows the Neoliner Origin to maintain a commercial cruising speed of 11 knots, reaching peaks of 14 knots under full sail, with an operational range of 7,000 nautical miles.
For loading and unloading operations, the vessel is fitted with a ramp and three protected storage areas: a main garage spanning 1,150 square metres, a hold measuring 368 square metres, and a lower garage of 850 square metres, capable of accommodating oversized cargo up to 9.8 metres in height and weighing up to 200 tonnes. The ship can also transport containers, with a maximum capacity of 265 TEU.
The €60 million investment has been backed by private companies and financial institutions, including CMA CGM, Ademe Investissement, Corsica Ferries, and Louis Hardy. Additionally, Banque des Territoires has provided a €3.8 million bond financing, while the Pays de la Loire Region has granted a repayable advance of €1.3 million. Crédit Industriel et Commercial has contributed through a tax lease guaranteed by Bpifrance Assurance Export, and energy company EDF has supported the project with energy-saving certificates.
According to Neoline, the Neoliner Origin will be capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80-90% compared to conventional ships, with its patented design estimated to generate energy savings of 600,000 MWh cumac over fifteen years. However, its economic sustainability remains to be tested as it crosses the Atlantic. Meanwhile, the shipowner has already announced plans for a sister vessel, while the first unit has already been assigned IMO number 1021829.
