TOWT Orders Sailing Cargo Ship from PIRIOU
French shipyard PIRIOU said it has been award a contract for the design studies and construction of an 81-meter sailing cargo ship for sailing freight transport company TransOceanic Wind Transport (TOWT).
Wind-powered sailing cargo ships are gaining interest across the maritime industry as shipping companies seek ways to limit their environmental impact.
Guillaume Le Grand, chairman of TOWT-Transport wind transport, said, "Today, TOWT is going further by ordering a ship from Piriou that will make it possible to massify its environmental impact by transporting up to 20,000 tonnes of goods per year by sail power. The sailing cargo ship, which will be completed by PIRIOU Shipyard in 2023, will make it possible to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 90% and to economize 20 g of CO2 per tonne transported per kilometer. It will therefore save 3,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. In addition to the carbon savings, principally wind-powered propulsion will allow a significant reduction in the air pollution caused by the heavy fuel oil generally used by merchant ships."
The new ship being built by PIRIOU is designed to operate 320 days a year, able to transport up to 1,100 tonnes of goods in a single ocean crossing.
While navigation will be primarily sail-powered, the ship will also be equipped to operated in a hybrid power mode, with one or two engines operating, at different levels of power. It will feature a sail rigging spread over two masts, plus two turbocharged four-stroke marine diesel engines.
On the bridge, there will be a single command station that will allow the officer on watch to carry out all the commands and course adjustment operations, excluding maneuvers, alone.
After the design studies phase, vessel construction will take 18 months, PIRIOU said.. The vessel will be outfitted in Concarneau, and the launch is planned for summer 2023.
Last year, PIRIOU secured a contract to build a sailing polar supply ship Septième Continent.
Vincent Faujour, Chairman of the PIRIOU group said, "A few weeks after announcing the signing of a contract for the construction of Jean-Louis Etienne's sailboat Septième Continent, Piriou is proving that the shipyard is at the forefront of innovation regarding the progress of sailing technologies and the decarbonization of maritime transport."
Hull length 69 m
Overall length: 81 m
Beam: 11.9 m
Depth at main deck: 8.65 m
Maximum draught (molded) 6 m
Air draught . 64 m
Crew: 7 to 12 p max
Passenger capacity (6 double cabins) 12 p.
Average speed. : 10.5 kts
Maximum speed under sail Over 16 kts
Hull/superstructure: Steel/aluminum
Sail power: 2 masts, 4 aluminum booms
Sail area (2 main sails, 2 jibs, 1 Genoa jib: 2,500 m²
Engine power: 2 x 422 kWm at 1,790 rpm
1 bow thruster
Generator sets 2 x 250 kVA
Cranes for pallet holds 2 x 7.5 t at 4.5m
Freight capacity (1,000 to 1,100 tonnes in bulk on
pallets + 135 225-liter barrels of wine or spirits
