The world's longest wind-powered cargo ship was launched in Türkiye on Friday, offering a promising way to curb carbon emissions from merchandise trade.
The 136-meter (450-foot) Neoliner Origin was floated at the Turkish port of Tuzla, on the outskirts of Istanbul and will now undergo six months of fitting-out.
Designed by French company Neoline and built by Turkish shipyard RMK Marine, the ship can carry 5,300 tons of freight over long distances thanks to its two masts and 3,000 square meters of sails.
"Thanks to the wind, and by reducing speed from 15 knots (about 30 kph or 18 mph) to 11 knots, we can cut fuel consumption and therefore emissions by a factor of five compared with a conventional ship," Jean Zanuttini, president of Nantes-based Neoline, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
With about 90% of world trade going by sea, the maritime transport sector is responsible for about 3% of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The ship will leave Türkiye in the summer of 2025 for the French Atlantic port of Saint-Nazaire, then will begin its first rotation toward North America, serving the French island of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, the U.S. port of Baltimore and Halifax in Canada.
The project received support from France's Public Investment Bank (BPI) and the French shipping company CMA-CGM.
Zanuttini said the Turkish shipyard would soon begin work on a second similar ship.
