Neoline Armateur reaches a historic milestone with the start of the construction of its very first sailing ro-ro vessel , marked by the official cutting of its first sheet metal, “Steel Cutting”, a year and a half before the ship is due to enter into service in June 2025.
The Construction of the Neoliner begins with the “steel cutting” on November 8, 2023 at RMK Marine’s Tuzla shipyard in Turkey.
The Neoliner, a 136m sail-powered ro-ro cargo ship will operate a transatlantic rotation between the ports of Saint-Nazaire, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Baltimore and Halifax, departing every month from 2025.
The realization of a project launched 12 years ago
The construction of this 136 m ro-ro vessel, the fruit of 12 years of commitment and passion, is finally coming to fruition. A wide range of technical and financial partners have supported Neoline, all united by the same vision : to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80% compared to conventional vessels of similar size, thanks to reduced energy requirements and the primary use of vellic propulsion.
The Construction of the vessel has been awarded to the Turkish shipyard RMK Marine, accompanied by a consortium of French partners including Chantiers de l’Atlantique, MAURIC, D-ICE Engineering, Fouré Lagadec, Engie Axima and Bio-sea UV.
Jean ZANUTTINI, President of NEOLINE, comments:
“This is an important day for all the NEOLINE team members and all our partners, as we are witnessing the longawaited concrete start of the construction of the first Neoliner. After several months of detailed studies carried out in full cooperation between the teams from RMK Marine, Mauric, Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Bureau Veritas, we are entering an exciting period which will see the ship being built day by day.The teams at RMK Marine and all their partners have our full confidence in building the Neoliner, which will be one of the largest sailing merchant ships in history. The NEOLINE Développement technical team, supported by Schulte Marine Concept, will be monitoring the construction in real time.I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in this project: thanks to you ! An idea that seemed crazy at the outset will come to life in the coming months. We are very proud to contribute with this project to the energy transition of the shipping sector and to design a desirable future for the next generations, as it is more than urgent to accelerate the change towards more respect for the environment.”
The construction of the ship will be followed by key milestones, such as the laying of the first block in the first half of 2024, the launch of the ship scheduled for the end of 2024, and the commissioning in June 2025, which will be followed by the opening of the new transatlantic line between St-Nazaire (Montoir) and the American East Coast (Halifax/Baltimore), including two calls at St-Pierre et Miquelon.
The Neoliner, an innovative, environmentally-friendly ro-ro vessel
Neoline is working to drastically reduce the emissions and environmental impact of shipping with its innovative Neoliner technology, by bringing together all the players who share its commitment to a more environmentally-friendly maritime future. The Neoliner is a 136-meter-long ro-ro vessel. It is equipped by innovative technological features, such as its two 76-meter folding carbon SOLIDSAIL masts, with a 3000 sqm sail area , developed by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, as well as retractable anti-drift plans and a particularly efficient weather routing system. This equipment, coupled with a speed reduction to 11 knots (versus 15 knots on a conventionally-propelled vessel), should ensure that the main propulsion is by sail, saving up 80% to 90% of fuel (and associated emissions).
Sailing cargo ships to decarbonize supply chains
A number of French industry stakeholders have already joined the adventure and signed up with NEOLINE to commit their freight to this new line between France and Northern America. This shipping line is open to all shippers looking for a more responsible, efficient and sustainable solution for their transatlantic supply chains. It has a loading capacity of 1,200 linear meters (2.8m wide), or 265 20′ containers, for a maximum cargo weight of 5,300 tonnes. On the passenger side, the Neoliner can also accommodate 12 people in six double cabins, in addition to the 13 crew members.
Source: NEOLINE Armateur