A new step forward: the selection of a candidate by the shippers to deploy a sail container door service

The Shippers' Association, under the aegis of France Supply Chain and the Association of Freight Transport Users (AUTF), selected in early July 2022 the candidate following the call for tenders launched in early February 2022 to deploy container transport solutions by velocity-powered freighters as early as 2024. The aim of this approach is to accelerate the decarbonization of maritime transport on a global scale, for a more sustainable future.

The 17-memberShippers' Association for Carbon-Free Maritime Transport conducted a call for tenders between the beginning of February 2022 and the beginning of July 2022, with the aim of deploying two weekly transatlantic routes between Europe and North America, operated from 2024 onwards by container ships powered mainly by wind power. The ambition is to reduce_CO2 emissions by at least half compared to conventional transport.

Following a selection process, the two lines were awarded to Zéphyr & Borée. This company showed strong motivation to build an offer that met the various criteria of the shippers: ship size 600 containers 20 feet, weekly departure, use of wind at more than 50% for the main propulsion and reduction of_CO2 emissions by half compared to the market standard.

This selection is only a first step towards the deployment of the line. Indeed, the Shippers must now finalize their commitment in order to allow the complete filling of the ships. The Shippers Association calls for the mobilization of international players to join the coalition and become actors of a responsible maritime fleet. This is a crucial step in the initiative, which must be finalized before the end of 2022 to allow the start of the construction of the vessels (between 10 and 12) and meet the objective of deploying the first vessel by the end of 2024.

At a time when the world must reinvent itself in the face of major environmental challenges, the Supply Chain, the true nervous system of the economy, once again bears witness to the fact that it is one of the keys to sustainable renewal.

About France Supply Chain

In an increasingly complex world, making the Supply Chain a lever for a more sustainable world is an essential challenge for all companies. This is why France Supply Chain brings relevant solutions to all Supply Chain actors, thanks to its network of 450 affiliated companies and an approach based on collective intelligence.

About the Association of Freight Transport Users (AUTF)

AUTF is a professional association of shippers, representing industrial and commercial companies in their role as transport contractors. Multi-sectoral and resolutely multimodal, AUTF's action is part of a global approach to improving the economic and environmental performance of transport chains in order to improve the competitiveness of companies and the attractiveness of the territory.