CMA CGM welcomes Neoliner Origin, the sail-powered cargo ship from the shipping company Neoline, for a special stopover in Marseille

Neoliner Origin, a new-generation cargo ship with primary sail propulsion, called today at the foot of the CMA CGM Tower. This unique stopover marks the Group’s commitment alongside Neoline to an innovative technology capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%, while offering loading capacity and reliability comparable to a conventional maritime transport service.

The investment in the Neoliner Origin project reflects CMA CGM Group’s determination to transform industry practices through bold and diversified solutions toward a new generation of vessels. In partnership with other shippers and investors, CMA CGM reaffirms, through this initiative, its commitment to promoting low-carbon transport solutions and preparing the decarbonized future of global logistics.

With a fleet of 650 container ships serving ports around the world, the CMA CGM Group has long been committed to more sustainable, lower-carbon maritime transport. To achieve its Net Zero Carbon goal by 2050, the Group is actively exploring all available technological solutions. Sail propulsion, reinvented by modern technical advances, can now be a credible alternative to fossil fuels. 

In October 2025, CMA CGM and Neoline take a historic step forward by participating in the commissioning of Neoliner Origin, the first ConRo (container–ro-ro) vessel with primary sail propulsion. 
This revolutionary ship, born from the more than 10-year commitment of Neoline’s founders and the vision of Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, demonstrates that maritime innovation can also serve the fight against climate change.

Operating on the Saint-Nazaire – Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon – Baltimore – Halifax route, it aims to combine operational performance with exemplary energy efficiency. Neoliner Origin will carry 265 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) and specialize in transporting rolling equipment and oversized cargo.

Neoliner Origin is equipped with 3,000 sqm of rigid sails deployed on two carbon masts over 70 meters high, designed and built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique. The sails’ orientation is automatically adjusted to optimize wind capture. Its hybrid sail/motor propulsion ensures reliable crossings, while its design includes real-time digital weather-routing simulation tools to choose the most efficient trajectories. 

By acquiring a stake in Neoline in 2022, CMA CGM demonstrated that wind propulsion is a credible solution for developing a new generation of decarbonized ships. 
This unprecedented alliance combines the expertise of the world’s third-largest maritime transport operator with Neoline’s pioneering know-how in modern sail propulsion. Through this partnership, the CMA CGM Group aims to strengthen its expertise in sail propulsion and concretely integrate it into its decarbonization strategy. 

As a global player in maritime, land, air, logistics, and media solutions, the CMA CGM Group is committed to achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2050 across all its activities. 
Its decarbonization strategy rests on two pillars: reducing energy consumption through operational excellence and asset optimization, and increasing the share of low-carbon energy in CMA CGM’s energy mix.

Through its PULSE energy fund, endowed with €1.5 billion over five years, the CMA CGM Group is accelerating the energy transition of transport and logistics. This fund aims to support the development and production of renewable energies, speed up the decarbonization of the Group’s industrial tools, and back innovative projects and low-emission mobility solutions such as Neoline’s.