Cargo ships with sails? That’s the solution proposed by Zéphyr & Borée, a cargo ship specialist that has signed a new partnership agreement with Sealogis, a GEODIS subsidiary. Based in Lorient, Brittany, this pioneering start-up designs, builds and operates wind-powered cargo vessels. As shipping agent, Sealogis will present, promote and market these services to its own clientele of shippers and forwarders. To deliver end-to-end green transport, Sealogis will also offer low-carbon solutions for moving freight over land, before and after its journey with Zéphyr & Borée.

Zéphyr & Borée designs and builds low-emission commercial ships powered by sails and alternative fuels. This technological innovation will cut CO₂ emissions in half, as shipping times stay competitive with those of conventional vessels. Starting in 2025, its low-emission vessels will make weekly journeys between Le Havre, Antwerp and the East Coast of the United States, with an equivalent service from Mediterranean ports.

According to data from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations agency, maritime transport accounts for around 3% of greenhouse gas emissions, and ocean freight traffic continues to grow. In response, IMO has called for the sector to cut CO₂ emissions in half by 2050. Meanwhile, in its most recent report in 2022, the IPCC calls for innovative low-carbon technologies, which are expanding in the field of marine energy and maritime transport. Wind-powered ocean shipping is one innovation that could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.