New Generation of Sailboats Could Revolutionize Global Transport System
THE FXBG ADVANCE 7/8/26 AFTERNOON READ
Bruce Saller, ADVANCE CONTRIBUTOR
The global transport company Dalsey, Hillblom, and Lynn (DHL) has signed a contract with the French company Vela to produce large sailboats to transport cargo between Europe and the US. The 220-foot-long trimarans (three hulls) will be able to carry 600 European Union pallets weighing up to 458 tons.
The ships are expected to travel at 16 miles per hour with an estimated crossing time of about two weeks. (The typical container ship takes nine days to make the trip). The initial route will be between Caen-Ouistreham, France, and New Haven, Connecticut, with service starting in early 2027.
Vela plans to have five ships operational by 2030, allowing for weekly shipments. The ships will have solar panels and batteries to provide electricity, and are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 90 percent compared to traditional shipment methods.
Meanwhile, the European Union has also developed a wind-powered system which supplements the traditional oil-powered cargo ship. The WindWings project adds wing sails, up to 123 feet high, to the ship’s cargo deck. In the test trial, the sails reduced fuel use by 1.76 tons per day per sail. A cargo ship uses between 100-300 tons of fuel per day, depending upon the ship’s size and speed. The sails are expected to reduce fuel usage by 10 percent when installed on existing ships but up to 30 percent when incorporated into a new ship’s design.
These new sailing ships are helping make small reductions in maritime transport emissions until a carbon-free solution is available. A South Korean company, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, is already designing a 15,000 TEU-class container ship—capable of carrying 15,000 20-foot containers—powered by a next-generation small nuclear reactor.
The ship is planned to be operational around 2035. Hopefully these new concepts will lead to cheaper and cleaner shipping.
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Bruce Saller is a retired systems engineer with degrees in electrical engineering and computer science.
I've been reading about these for years. Nice to see they seem to be coming to fruition. Plus, they'll look really cool!