△ Mr. Nils Joyeux, Co-founder and President of Zéphyr&Borée
In August 2023, the French shipping company Zéphyr&Borée, in partnership with Jifmar Offshore Services, launched the world’s first sail-powered roll-on/roll-off ship, “Canopée,” specifically designed for transporting rocket launch systems from the French aerospace company Ariane Group. According to Zéphyr&Borée, the Canopée project took six years to complete. The project bidding was initiated by Ariane Group in 2018; in July 2019, Alizés shipping company was established and won the bid; from October to December 2020, Alizés signed a shipbuilding contract with Dutch shipyard Neptune Marine and ordered four Oceanwings sails from AYRO; in January 2021, the keel of “Canopée” was laid; in December 2022, the ship was delivered; and in July 2023, the sails were installed. For the next 15 years, this ship will be used to transport Ariane Group’s “Ariane 6” rocket launch systems between European ports and the Pariacabo port in French Guiana.
“Canopée” is a top-open roll-on/roll-off ship, designed by VPLP Design and Groot Ship Design, and built by Neptune Marine. The ship has a total length of 121 meters, a beam of 22 meters, a depth of 7.05 meters, a draft of 3.8-5 meters, and a clearance height of 49.9-52.1 meters, with a designed cruising speed of 16.5 knots. It uses hybrid power, equipped with two 3480 kW diesel engines and four Oceanwings articulated sails provided by AYRO. Each sail stands 37 meters tall with an area of 363 square meters, totaling 1452 square meters. This is an automatic, foldable, patented vertical sail consisting of a front and a rear flap. The sails can adjust in two ways: first, they can rotate 360 degrees with the wind; second, the rear flap can rotate around the mast, creating a certain angle with the front flap. The power generated by Oceanwings sails far exceeds that of traditional sails or single-element sails. These sails can help “Canopée” reduce fuel consumption by an average of 30% throughout the year while lowering its carbon footprint, making it the most advanced wind-assisted hybrid vessel in the world.
As a company specializing in building low-carbon vessels, Zéphyr&Borée is a pioneer in modern sail-powered shipping, dedicated to actively promoting the decarbonization of the shipping industry by designing commercial vessels equipped with sails and using alternative fuels. Recently, Nils Joyeux, co-founder and president of Zéphyr&Borée, shared the company’s philosophy and experience in sail-powered ship design in an exclusive interview.
Q: Recently, Zéphyr&Borée and Jifmar Offshore Services launched the world’s first wind-assisted hybrid roll-on/roll-off ship, “Canopée.” Many of Zéphyr&Borée’s projects are related to wind energy. Why do you believe in the application of wind propulsion systems on ships?
A:Utilizing wind propulsion to power cargo ships is the very belief that led the founders of Zephyr & Borée to establish this company. We firmly believe that we must harness wind energy again to reduce pollution emissions in the shipping industry. Wind-assisted propulsion systems can utilize the infinite natural resource of wind to act as a lever for reducing the environmental footprint of ships, contributing to more responsible maritime transport.
To achieve the emission reduction goals for ships, merely using synthetic fuels is not enough. We believe that slow steaming, wind propulsion, and the use of synthetic fuels will be effective solutions to drive decarbonization in shipping. Among these, wind propulsion will play a very important role, as this solution does not compromise the performance of the ship and can address environmental challenges without conflicting with commercial activities.
Q: Based on Zéphyr&Borée’s experience, what factors should be considered when designing and applying wind propulsion technology for different types of vessels?
A:In fact, there are many factors to consider. First, we must take into account the type of vessel. For example, installing sails on a container ship is not as straightforward as on a roll-on/roll-off ship. Besides the type of vessel, several other factors need to be considered:
✦ Stability reserve of the vessel;
✦ Operating speeds of different types of vessels, such as whether they are targeting fast roll-on/roll-off ships at 18 knots or slow bulk carriers at 11 knots;
✦ Technical maturity of different solutions;
✦ Expected return on investment for installing wind propulsion equipment on the vessel;
✦ Clear objectives, whether to provide simple navigation assistance or to make a meaningful contribution to the vessel’s energy mix through sail installation;
✦ Height restrictions of the vessel.
This is why we believe that various new technologies will emerge one after another.
Q: In your opinion, what fuels are suitable for use in conjunction with sail power?
A:I believe there is no specific fuel that is more suitable for use with wind propulsion than others. Of course, using zero-carbon fuels is the general direction, but in practice, diesel engines can also work well with sail power. What is truly important is that the ship uses flexible devices (such as variable pitch propellers) to effectively adapt to the changes in power provided by the sails.
Q: How can we achieve a balance between environmental and economic benefits when a vessel uses both alternative fuels and wind propulsion systems?
A:The wind statistics for ships operating on different routes are very important. On routes with stronger winds, the payback period for investing in wind propulsion can be 3 to 5 years. In contrast, on routes with weaker winds, the payback period can extend to 10 to 15 years. However, this is all based on current fuel prices. If we calculate the return on investment using the price of one ton of methanol, the application of sails on ships can yield extremely significant returns.
Q: Does combining wind propulsion with alternative fuels increase the complexity of operations on board? How can we ensure the safety of navigation for vessels operating under this model?
A:Today, sail manufacturers are working on developing and providing industrial-grade automation tools that do not require additional personnel to operate. In terms of equipment maintenance, these new sails can be compared to large cranes and are not more complex than these devices. Moreover, using sails in conjunction with synthetic fuels is also not an issue.
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