French Automaker Unveils Plan to Construct Sailing Vehicle Carriers – gCaptain
▻https://gcaptain.com/french-automaker-unveils-plan-to-construct-sailing-vehicle-carriers
Photo: Renault Group
French automaker Renault has unveiled an ambitious plan to construct two wind-powered roll-on/roll-off vessels by as early as 2020.
For the project, Renault has partnered with the French start-up Neoline, which was founded in 2015 with the goal of becoming the world’s first shipowner specializing in sailing cargo ships.
According to a press release, Renault and Neoline will first develop a 136-meter vessel and 4,200 square meters of sail area to serve as a model. The end goal, however, is to build two sail-powered ships by 2020-2021 to service a pilot route joining Saint-Nazaire, the U.S. Eastern seaboard and Saint-Pierre & Miquelon off the coast of Newfoundland.
Renault says the project is part its environmental strategy aimed at reducing its carbon footprint by 25% between 2010-2022, with a 6% target for its supply chain compared to 2016 levels.
Photo: Renault Group
