Neoliner Origin, a new-generation cargo ship primarily propelled by wind power, called at the foot of the CMA CGM Tower in Marseille. This event marks -according to the shipping company- the commitment of the Group together with Neoline, of which it is a principal partner, in favor of innovative technology.
The vessel, with this sail system, is capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%, while offering a cargo capacity and reliability comparable to a service operated by a traditional shipping carrier.
The investment in the Neoliner Origin project reflects, according to the French shipping group, the CMA CGM Group’s determination to transform industry practices through bold and diversified solutions towards a new generation of vessels.
In partnership with other shippers and investors, CMA CGM reaffirms, through this initiative, its willingness to promote low-carbon transport solutions and prepare the decarbonized future of global logistics.
With a fleet of 650 container ships operating in ports worldwide, the CMA CGM Group has long been committed to more sustainable and less carbon-intensive shipping. To achieve its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the Group is actively exploring all available technological solutions. Wind propulsion, reinvented thanks to modern technical advances, can today be a credible alternative to fossil fuels, the company remarked.
In October 2025, CMA CGM and Neoline reached a historic milestone by participating in the commissioning of the Neoliner Origin, the first ConRo (container and ro-ro) vessel with primary wind propulsion. This revolutionary vessel, the result of more than 10 years of commitment from the founders of Neoline and the vision of Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, demonstrates that maritime innovation is also at the service of the fight against climate change, highlighted CMA CGM.
Operating on the Saint-Nazaire – Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon – Baltimore – Halifax route, it seeks to combine operational performance with exemplary energy sobriety. Neoliner Origin will transport 265 TEU (twenty-foot equivalents) and specializes in moving rolling stock and out-of-gauge cargo.
the Neoliner Origin is equipped with 3,000 m² rigid sails deployed on two carbon masts over 70 meters high, designed and manufactured by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, whose orientation is automatically controlled to optimize wind capture. Its hybrid /engine ensures the reliability of voyages, while its design incorporates digital weather routing simulation tools to choose the most efficient trajectories in real time.
By entering the capital of Neoline in 2022, CMA CGM demonstrated that sail is a credible solution for developing a new generation of decarbonized vessels. This unprecedented alliance unites the expertise of the world’s third-largest shipping player with the pioneering know-how of Neoline in modern wind propulsion.
Thanks to this partnership, the CMA CGM Group aims to strengthen its expertise in sail propulsion, with the goal of concretely integrating it into its decarbonization strategy, emphasized the French shipping company.
Through its Pulse energy fund, endowed with 1.5 billion euros over five years, the CMA CGM Group stated that it is accelerating the energy transition of transport and logistics. This fund’s mission is to support the development and production of renewable energies, accelerate the decarbonization of the Group’s industrial tools, and support innovative projects and low-emission mobility solutions, such as that of Neoline.
