VESSEL REVIEW | Neoliner Origin – France's Neoline to deploy sailing Ro-Ro cargo ship on trans-Atlantic routes
French shipping company Neoline has inaugurated a new sailing Ro-Ro cargo ship built by RMK Marine Shipyard of Turkey.
The Bureau Veritas-classed Neoliner Origin was designed by French naval architecture firm Mauric as a Ro-Ro cargo vessel with wind propulsion as her primary power source. According to Mauric, extensive data will be collected aboard this vessel during her initial voyages to refine the models that enabled her design.
Mauric said that, based on the data, it will be able to confirm, improve its models, and increase the general quality of its sailing vessel designs to make them efficient, manoeuvrable with a reduced crew as well as energy-efficient, sustainable, and more environmentally friendly.
Designed with sails as the main propulsion
Neoline and Mauric began development of Neoliner Origin in 2016, first by developing a detailed preliminary design of the vessel, allowing the owner to promote its concept to shippers and finalise its business model. The preliminary studies enabled the development of industrial solutions meeting Neoline's requirements, particularly for the transport of heavy or large-dimension cargo efficiently and safely on trans-Atlantic voyages.
According to Mauric President Vincent Seguin, the project to design Neoliner Origin is noteworthy due to its specifications and design choices that are all oriented towards maximising wind propulsion efficiency and reducing energy consumption. Mauric worked in close collaboration with Neoline to design a vessel to be fitted with wind propulsion from the outset instead of simply being a cargo ship equipped with rigging as a backup for combustion engines.
Numerous finite element calculations enabled optimisation of the vessel's structure to maintain carrying capacity, transfer the rigging loads to the main deck, and respect the vessel's dimensional constraints.
Optimised for standard loads and irregularly sized freight
Neoliner Origin has an LOA of 136 metres (446 feet), a beam of 24.2 metres (79.4 feet), a draught of 5.5 metres (18 feet), space for 1,130 lane metres (3,710 linear feet) of freight across two garage decks and 265 TEUs (together amounting to 5,300 tonnes), and accommodation for 12 passengers in addition to her crew of 20.
Loading of Ro-Ro freight is via a stern ramp. In addition to vehicles, agricultural equipment such as tractors and construction machinery including excavators and bulldozers can be carried in the garage decks. The container cargo can meanwhile consist of various combinations of 20-foot and 40-foot dry and refrigerated boxes as well as boxes laden with ATEX-compliant dangerous goods.
Irregularly shaped cargo such as aircraft components, offshore wind turbines, and generators can also be transported.
The two 1,500-square-metre (16,000-square-foot) sails developed by Chantiers de l'Atlantique will enable the ship to reach speeds of up to 16 knots, and Mauric said trans-Atlantic voyages at 11 knots are possible on the sails alone. The sails are made up of rectangular composite panels assembled together and are mounted on 76-metre (250-foot) masts that can be folded to enable safe passage underneath bridges.
The sails were built to be significantly more durable than conventional sails that become fragile beyond a certain threshold.
Hybrid propulsion for backup
A hybrid propulsion setup consisting of a 3,180kW diesel engine and a 900kW electric motor is also fitted, and this can deliver speeds of up to 14.9 knots at 100 per cent MCR and a range of 7,000 nautical miles. Power for the onboard systems will be supplied by two 665kVA generators.
The vessel also features retractable anti-drift fins from Foure Lagadec.
The onboard accommodation includes a passenger lounge, a sun deck, a gym, two-person cabins with private bathrooms and balconies, and a dining area. Wifi connectivity is also available.
Neoliner Origin has already begun operating a regular monthly service between Saint Nazaire and Baltimore, with each return trip to France passing through Halifax and Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.
