TOWT orders wind-powered cargo ship from French builder

Cargo transport company TOWT has awarded French shipbuilder Piriou a contract for the design studies and construction of an 81-metre sailing cargo ship that can carry 1,100 tonnes of goods in a single ocean crossing.

Construction will take place upon completion of the design studies phase and will last approximately 18 months. Launching is scheduled for the summer of 2023.

The ship will be designed to operate for up to 320 days at sea per year. Navigation will principally be sail-powered, but the ship will also have a hybrid power mode, with one or two engines operating, at different levels of power.

The vessel will be designed and built with wind as the principal power source, with a sail rigging spread over two masts. In addition to its wind propulsion, it will be equipped with of two turbocharged four-stroke marine diesel engines.

On the bridge, there will be a single command station and its ergonomics will allow the officer of the watch to carry out all the commands and course adjustment operations, excluding manoeuvres, alone.