It has probably been close to 75 years since cargo regularly moved through the Port of Halifax by sail.
In 2019, the schooner Avontuur arrived in port with a load of coffee. That operation harkened back to the past, with sacks of cargo hand-loaded and discharged, and the ship’s routing determined by what cargo it could collect on the way. A niche service, it proved there was a market for sustainable transport services.
French company Neoline hopes to bring sail back to the mainstream in 2023 with the introduction of a liner service between France, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Halifax and Baltimore. It will offer biweekly service in 2024 when a second ship is complete.
A spokesperson for Neoline said, “The objective is to offer the least-impacting maritime transport possible thanks to the use of wind energy. . . . It is an offer with added value for shippers who have a long-term strategy for sustainable development.”
The service will carry a price premium but also offer price stability since it will not be subject to fuel price fluctuations.
The two vessels are 136 metres long and carry 4,200 square metres of sail. They will be constructed by Neopolia S.A.S in Saint-Nazaire, France.
Neoline says the ships will remove 90 per cent of carbon emissions on each trip.
The Neoliner is designed to maintain a speed of 11 knots across the Atlantic, something an analysis of historic wind patterns done by the company suggests is possible. The ship still carries an engine and will be capable of 14 knots under power.
Built as a roll-on, roll-off design, the ship features two fully enclosed decks capable of carrying 280 20-foot equivalent units, or 500 cars.
Neoline was quick to get commitments from companies to use the service, including Renault, Manitou, Beneteau and Hennesey, and on Feb. 11 signed a commitment with Michelin to ship 50 per cent of its container volume through Halifax on the new line.
The proposed route was chosen in consultation with shippers and already is well serviced. ACL services Halifax, Baltimore and Northern Europe on a weekly schedule. Saint Pierre and Miquelon is also serviced weekly by the CON-RO Nolhan Ava from Halifax.
Other companies have tried to harness the wind. The defunct Beluga Shipping operated the Beluga Skysail, a ship that could launch a large kite off the bow to harness the wind. While the ship still sails under a different name with the kite-handling hardware in place, it’s unclear if it has been used recently.
In other news:
- Last year’s strike by longshore workers at the Port of Montreal ended in a seven-month truce that concludes March 31. The port has stated that shippers are beginning to divert cargo in anticipation of job action. I have received anecdotal reports that volumes to Halifax are up.
- The Primo sank in Lunenburg Harbour in a recent storm. The ship went into service as a side trawler and was converted to fish scallops. It was finally retired from fishing in 2005 and brought to Lunenburg, where it was to be converted to a cargo schooner. There have been no reports of pollution, and the vessel will likely be refloated and recycled.
Peter Ziobrowski has been writing about all things maritime since 2008.
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