Corsica Sardinia Ferries enters into a partnership with Neoline Armateur to support Neoliner Origin, an innovative naval project for low environmental impact maritime transport. The ship in question, approximately 136 meters long, was designed to reduce fuel consumption by up to 80% thanks to the primary use of wind propulsion.
The innovation lies in its two-mast system, equipped with rigid sails managed by automated control. “This configuration – states a note – allows the vessel to maintain a commercial sailing speed of 11 knots, demonstrating that energy efficiency can coexist with the optimization of transport timelines.” The ship will be able to transport 1,200 linear meters, 400 cars or 265 containers, representing up to 5,300 tonnes of goods.
The construction of Neoliner Origin has been completed and the ship set sail from Turkey on Monday, September 29 to reach the ports of Livorno (Saturday, October 4) and Bastia (Sunday, October 5), which will be commercial stops on its journey between the Turkish shipyard Rmk Marine and the port of Saint-Nazaire, which is the final destination.
Once in the Atlantic, the ship will operate its regular route between Saint-Nazaire and Baltimore (USA), with intermediate stops at Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. The date for the start of the first commercial crossing to the United States is set for October 16.
Pierre Mattei, president of Corsica Sardinia Ferries (co-shareholder in Neoline Armateur), explained the participation in the project as a commitment of responsibility: “After having worked to limit our carbon footprint, it is now necessary to actively explore alternatives to fossil fuels. Sail propulsion and new-generation fuels offer concrete prospects.”
Mattei defined these solutions as “true laboratories for the propulsion of future maritime transport,” reiterating the shipping company’s duty to support and invest in these innovations to lead the energy transition of the sector.
