Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) has classed the ‘Neoliner Origin’, a new-generation wind-powered ro-ro freight vessel developed by French shipping company Neoline.
Built by RMK Marine shipyard in Tuzla, Turkey, the Neoliner Origin is considered the first commercial sailing ro-ro cargo vessel of this size and capacity to enter service.
The 136m-long and 24.2m-wide vessel features two 76m-high foldable Solidsail carbon masts developed by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, supporting nearly 3,000m2 of rigid sails. It offers 1,200 linear metres of cargo space (equivalent to 265 TEU) with a maximum cargo weight capacity of 5,300t. The vessel can also accommodate 12 passengers in six cabins.
BV oversaw classification throughout the project, including design assessment, construction surveys, and final trials. The ship was officially delivered in September 2025, following completion of adjustments and performance testing, before final preparations at the Loire estuary. The vessel will shortly depart for the first transatlantic crossing, from Montoir-de-Bretagne to Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and Baltimore.
The vessel is intended to drastically reduce GHG emissions as well as SOx and NOx emissions on an ocean crossing compared to conventional ro-ro ships.
Jean Zanuttini, President, Neoline, said: “Neoline is thrilled to have taken delivery of Neoliner Origin, a unique and innovative vessel considering her environmental performance objectives. We wish to thank all the technical partners for the successful building of this project, and notably Bureau Veritas for their support who insured the regulatory compliance of the ship.”
Matthieu de Tugny, EVP Industrials and Commodities. BV, added: “BV is proud to have supported this pioneering project from its earliest stages, helping ensure safety, reliability, and compliance while enabling true innovation in wind propulsion. Neoliner Origin demonstrates that combining proven technologies with bold vision can deliver real progress toward a sustainable shipping industry”
‘Neoliner Origin’ (source: Bureau Veritas)
