A 100% wind-powered cargo ship, capable of drastically reducing carbon emissions and still delivering faster than conventional maritime transport, is expected to cross the Atlantic from 2027.
French company Vela, a “green logistics” startup, is building a 67-meter-long and 25-meter-wide trimaran, which will be able to transport just over 400 tons of cargo between the east coast of the United States and ports in France.
The ship will have three hulls and will be propelled by sails that reach 61 meters above the waterline. Electricity for living areas, operations and air-conditioned basements will come from solar panels and two hydroelectric generators.
According to Vela, the vessel will sail at an average of 14 knots — a speed comparable to that of modern container ships —, but with a “hybrid” service proposal: faster than traditional sea freight, slower than air freight, and with much lower emissions than both.
A life cycle study carried out by Vela in partnership with the consultancy Carbone 4 estimates that crossing the North Atlantic could emit up to 96% less CO₂ than a conventional ship and up to 99% less than air transport.
The company targets customers who currently depend on planes to transport high-value products — such as pharmaceuticals, luxury cosmetics, fashion and premium foods — and who are looking for alternatives with less climate impact without giving up temperature control and cargo integrity. Japanese pharmaceutical giant Takeda has already signed a transport agreement with Vela, according to CNN International.
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Vela also promises to save time compared to traditional sea freight by rethinking all logistics: the ship carries around 100 times less cargo than a standard container ship, which shortens loading and unloading windows and allows it to operate in secondary, less congested terminals.
Furthermore, the route will be direct between the USA and France, without multiple stops to fill the ship, which tends to reduce delays. With this, the startup calculates that it can load, cross the Atlantic and unload in around 15 days — up to twice as fast on the US–Europe route than the traditional ocean route, just a week slower than air transport.
