Our vision

Context and challenges

In a highly competitive global market, and in the face of accelerating environmental demands, the maritime sector finds itself at a major turning point in its history.

In a highly competitive global market, and in the face of accelerating environmental demands, the maritime sector finds itself at a major turning point in its history.

Maritime transport accounts for around 3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This is largely due to the fuels used, which are still highly polluting, notably due to their high sulfur dioxide (SOx) content.

The main challenges :

Replacing fuels that emit high levels of pollutants
Reducing ships’ energy consumption
Bringing maritime transport within planetary limits

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set itself the goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping to zero by 2050.

To achieve this, the IMO is implementing progressive regulations:

EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index): came into force in 2013
CII (Carbon Intensity Indicator): in force since 2023

The European Union is also taking action to decarbonize the sector:

Integration of the maritime sector into the ETS (carbon credit market)
Implementation of the FuelEU Maritime program
re du programme FuelEU Maritime

Adapting this sector is essential if we are to achieve global decarbonization targets and guarantee a successful energy transition.

Faced with increasingly stringent regulations and rising oil prices, shipowners are seeing their fuel budgets increase significantly. This has a direct impact on shipping prices.

Solutions for adapting conventional ships (gigantism, scrubbers, methanol) are costly, limited and, in some cases, generate new forms of pollution.

A sustainable and immediate solution: wind propulsion

With 21st-century technologies at its heart, wind propulsion represents the solution chosen by NEOLINE, based on the use of clean, inexhaustible energy.

With sails as its main propulsion system, NEOLINE is committed to a form of transport that aims for zero emission, while providing cost stability.

Our CSR commitments

Since its creation in 2015, NEOLINE has had the ambition to develop industrial shipping that respects planetary limits. To achieve this, we are focusing on energy sobriety and the use of renewable energies, in particular wind propulsion.

This commitment implies not only the design of innovative vessels, but also the implementation of an economic and operational model consistent with our ecological values, focused on safety, quality and respect for the environment.

Our Safety Management System (SMS) gives concrete expression to these commitments, through procedures designed to guarantee :

The safety of people and property, both at sea and on land.
Reducing environmental impact and preventing pollution.
Transparent and open communication.
Active listening and risk management based on feedback.
Ongoing training to maintain a high level of competence.

Beyond regulatory compliance, NEOLINE is committed to making safety and environmental protection a corporate culture shared by all. véritable culture d’entreprise, partagée par tous.

Our technological choices

NEOLINE has opted for wind propulsion, relying on the free, clean and inexhaustible energy of the wind, combined with innovative and industrially mature technologies. These developments enable optimized performance and great flexibility of use.

Our approach :

Sobriety: by dividing by 2 the energy required to cover a nautical mile (reduction of speed to 11 knots, optimized energy mix)
Use of wind as main propulsion: with large-scale wind equipment (sails, anti-drift fins, hull…) all piloted by a crew expert in the practice of meteorological routing.

A vision for the future

NEOLINE uses complementary conventional energies to ensure commercial speed, port maneuvers and on-board power generation. Eventually, these solutions will be replaced by renewable energies, leading to zero-emission shipping.

Our ambition

In parallel with the commissioning of its first ship, NEOLINE is pursuing a fleet development plan with:

Financing is currently being sought for a sistership of Neoliner Origin which, also operating on the pilot line, will double its frequency and eventually ensure a departure every 2 weeks from St-Nazaire.
The ongoing development of larger, more specialized vessel series, to open up new low-carbon lines and gain scale effect.
Continued R&D efforts to incorporate operational feedback into future designs, minimize the use of fossil fuels and move closer to zero-emission operation.

The wind propulsion sector

NEOLINE is one of the pioneers of a particularly dynamic French ecosystem.

Equipment manufacturers, new and historic shipowners, designers, academics: many actors are committed today to developing wind propulsion applications and enabling it to take its rightful place in the energy transition of all ship fleets.

This young sector currently employs over 180 people in France, and is being deployed on more and more ships. A growing number of established players are recognizing that using wind power to propel ships is undoubtedly the most promising option for decarbonizing maritime activities.

Most of the French companies in the wind propulsion sector are members of the Windship association, and are working together to bring the emergence of these solutions to the attention of decision-makers and the general public. These actions are essential if today’s and tomorrow’s regulations are to take into account the particularities of this propulsion mode, and recognize its unique advantages in terms of independence and absence of conflicts of use.

At international level too, players and solutions are emerging and federating, this time within the International Windship Association (IWSA), of which the Windship association represents the French branch.
The use of wind power to generate electricity is a matter of course today, and will be tomorrow for commercial ship propulsion too!

White paper

To find out more about the range of solutions and uses for wind propulsion, feel free to consult the White Paper published in 2022 by the Windship association and ADEME.