Modern wind power for maritime cargo

This trimaran transports goods fast with almost no emissions

Spotted: Mile for mile, ocean shipping is much less emissions-intensive than air or ground freight. However, the huge scale of the industry means that it’s still a significant contributor to global greenhouse gases, generating around three per cent of total CO2 emissions. Working to reduce this is French company Vela, which has developed 100 per cent wind-powered maritime transport.

Vela is designing and building the world’s largest sailing cargo trimarans. The vessels, nicknamed L’avions des Mers (‘The Sea Planes’), will offer wind-powered transatlantic crossings in less than 15 days, allowing shippers to achieve even faster timelines and at a fraction of the carbon cost.

Each ship will carry the equivalent of 51 containers of cargo, most of which will be stored on the upper deck, streamlining loading and unloading operations. The vessels will also store goods on pallets instead of containers, minimising weight and keeping costs low for shippers.

Unlike large container ships, the Velo vessels are designed to access strategically situated, smaller harbours. This will allow loading and unloading closer to manufacturing centres, reducing costs and CO2 emissions from first- and last-mile operations in supply chains. Plus, the trimaran’s holds will also be maintained at a controlled temperature and humidity so that products like pharmaceuticals can be transported.

According to Vela, their sailing cargo ships will reduce 99 per cent of maritime transport emissions and, by providing decentralised logistics, up to 88 per cent of the emissions along the entire logistics chain.

Vela has recently completed a €40 million funding round, which will allow the company to finance the building of its first vessel with Australian shipyard Austal and strengthen its sales and operations teams. The first ship is scheduled to be delivered in the second half of 2026.

Written By: Lisa Magloff