France's first wind-propelled cargo ship successfully crosses Atlantic

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.

Besides reducing carbon, activists say replacing engines with sails is also good for marine life.

Read more on RFI English

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