A French company is looking to decarbonise the shipping industry, one sailing boat at a time. Its vessel Anemos successfully completed its first Atlantic crossing this week, reducing emissions by up to 90 percent compared to conventional fuel-powered ships.
Each year, cargo ships emit over 900 million tonnes of CO2, making up 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
By relying on wind power, Anemos prevented the release of between 150 and 200 tonnes of CO2 during its journey, said Towt, the French company behind the project.
Named after the Greek word for wind, Anemos left the northern French port of Le Havre on 16 August and arrived in New York on 3 September.
The 80-metre-long vessel – the world’s largest sailing cargo ship – was propelled across the Atlantic by 3,000 square metres of sails, handled by a seven-member crew.
It carried 1,200 tonnes of French products, including cognac, wine, champagne, jams and swimwear, destined for the US market.
With an average speed of 10 knots (18.5 km/h), Anemos was slower than conventional cargo ships, which usually travel between 14 and 25 knots (25 to 46 km/h). However, its environmental benefits are clear, cutting emissions dramatically.
Towt said Anemos is the first in a planned fleet of eight sailing cargo ships, to be completed by 2028, in response to growing demand for "clean" transport.
Despite these efforts, the challenge remains of meeting the needs of the international shipping industry, which moves around 11 billion tonnes of goods each year.
The downside of sailing cargo ships is that they are structurally much smaller than fuel-oil container ships, which can transport up to 60,000 tonnes in a single trip.
France unveils plan to slash shipping industry's carbon footprint
Saving marine life
Besides reducing carbon, activists say replacing engines with sails is also good for marine life.
Hortense Chauvin, journalist for environmental website Reporterre told RFI that “using a sailing boat reduces the number of accidents involving sea life”.
Hundreds of whales, dolphins and sharks are killed each year by collisions with the blades of cargo ship engines.
The North Atlantic right whale is particularly endangered by shipping activities, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) said.
Another advantage of sailing ships is the absence of noise pollution, which disrupts marine animals. Some companies are also developing kites or wings to complement motors on cargo ships, aiming to cut fuel consumption by 20 percent.
After New York, Anemos sailed to Santa Marta in Colombia and is now returning to France with a fresh cargo of coffee for French company Belco.
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