On July 30th, Groupe Bénéteau signed a transatlantic transport contract with Neoline, a new French shipowner and pioneer in the energy transition.

The Nantes-based company Neoline is developing a very low-consumption transatlantic transport line, thanks to innovative sailboats specializing in rolling and oversized cargo. 

Neoline plans to build the first two ships on this model, with the goal of commissioning them in 2022 on a pilot line that will link St-Nazaire, the east coast of the United States, and Saint-Pierre & Miquelon.

"As a shipbuilder and world leader in the sailing industry, the prospect of bringing our boats aboard an innovative, environmentally-friendly cargo ship, which is mainly powered by sail, reflects the Group's overall commitment to placing sustainable development at the heart of the company's project," explains Jérôme de Metz, Chairman and CEO of the Bénéteau Group. 

"By loading boats built in the Pays de Loire region at the port of Saint-Nazaire, the Bénéteau Group will be able to significantly reduce the amount of road transport currently required to reach the ports of departure of transatlantic routes. In addition, thanks to the vessels' 9.80 m storage height, we will be able to transport our large units of over 40 feet in complete safety inside these ro-ro vessels," added Delphine Planes, Purchasing Director of the Bénéteau Group. 

Jean Zanuttini, Chairman of Neoline Développement, added: "This transport contract will enable Groupe Bénéteau to benefit from very high added value, high-performance and sustainable maritime transport, as it will reduce GHG emissions by almost 90%, as well as associated impacts such as underwater noise. Our new service, a vector for environmental and industrial innovation, serving the region's largest companies, also gives Groupe Bénéteau visibility and control over transport costs over the long term. »

Neoline, which was joined at the beginning of the year by the Sogestran group and its subsidiary Compagnie Maritime Nantaise-MN, is getting closer with this signature to its goal of launching the construction of its first ship with the Neopolia Mobility shipyard in St-Nazaire. 

"In the current context of economic, ecological and health crisis, the choice of Neoline's transport solution is a concrete and significant action of the supply chains in energy transition towards a decarbonized and more resilient world" explains the Group. 

The challenge for Neoline and its partners, committed to the institutions, is to allow the construction and operation of its sailing cargo ships to benefit the local French economy as much as possible and start in the coming months.