The world's first commercial wind-powered roll-on/roll-off ship has completed its second phase of sea trials.

Recently, Turkey's RMK Marine shipyard completed the second phase sea trials of the world's first commercial wind-powered ro-ro ship "NEOLINER ORIGIN" built for the French shipping company Neoline Armateur.

This round of sea trials included maritime testing of multiple onboard systems, parameter adjustments, and compliance inspections. Additionally, the vessel conducted several hours of pure wind-powered navigation, during which its maneuverability and flexibility were evaluated. Neoline stated that some finishing work remains before delivery, aimed at perfecting every technical detail to ensure the ship fully meets performance, safety, and environmental efficiency requirements.

Neoline further pointed out: "This is exactly what makes a pioneering vessel unique: it requires time for debugging, testing, and optimization to pave the way for successors. Soon, our first wind-powered ro-ro ship will set sail across the Atlantic."

The "NEOLINER ORIGIN" is 136 meters long, 24.2 meters wide, with a lane length of 1200 meters (2.8 meters wide), capable of accommodating 265 20-foot containers, with a maximum load capacity of 5300 tons. It can carry different types of cargo, with 13 crew members and 12 passengers onboard, equipped with life support systems. The ship is fitted with nearly 3000 square meters of sails and two foldable carbon fiber masts up to 76 meters high, known as Solid Sails, manufactured by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in France.

Neoline claims that the ship can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% during ocean voyages and completely eliminate sulfur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions.

It is understood that the construction contract for the "NEOLINER ORIGIN" came into effect in January 2023, with construction starting in November of the same year. In February 2024, the keel laying ceremony was held at RMK Marine shipyard. Earlier this year, the ship was officially launched and began its first phase sea trials in late June in the Marmara Sea near RMK Marine shipyard.

The ship was designed by the ship design and engineering company Mauric, equipped with the Solid Sail rigid sail system developed by Chantiers de l’Atlantique, integrating an engine from Anglo Belgian Company (ABC) as auxiliary power. It is also equipped with a retractable anti-drift device manufactured by Fouré Lagadec and an ultra-efficient meteorological routing system developed by D-ICE Engineering.

Neoline Armateur was established by Neoline Développement in 2021, with shareholders including France's CMA CGM, ADEME Investissement, Corsica Ferries, and Louis Hardy SAS. The company's goal is to become the world's first owner specializing in operating modern wind-powered cargo ships. Its founding purpose is to significantly reduce maritime transport costs by relying on wind power, providing funding and operational services for the "NEOLINER ORIGIN."

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