Neoline, a Nantes-based shipping company and pioneer in wind-powered maritime transport, has announced the expansion of its regular transatlantic line. The extension is being carried out in partnership with the CMA CGM Group, which is assisting Neoline in marketing the shipping service.
With its first stop in Zeebrugge scheduled for September 18, the Neoliner Origin, a wind-powered ro-ro cargo ship, will now connect Zeebrugge, Montoir-de-Bretagne,Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Baltimore, and Halifax.
“As a result of the joint efforts of the sales teams at CMA CGM and Neoline, we are today launching our service in a new European industrial hub, Zeebrugge, which has shown genuine interest in our wind-powered shipping solution,” said Jean Zanuttini, President of Neoline. “This new development allows us to expand our market and, in particular, to enhance our appeal for return cargo, while maintaining the quality of service we provide to our existing customers.”
As part of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges complex, Zeebrugge is one of Europe’s major ports for roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro), automotive, and out-of-gauge (OOG) cargo traffic—making it a particularly strategic port of call for the Neoliner Origin.
This new port of call responds to the interest expressed by several shippers and partners in connecting the Neoline service directly to the logistics heart of Europe, the carrier stated.
Shippers who import or export goods through this port can now access an industrial-scale wind-powered shipping solution to reduce the carbon footprint of their supply chain.
Developed in partnership with the CMA CGM Group’s sales teams, this expansion extends the rotation by a few days without altering the transit-time commitments made to the pioneering shippers on the route from Montoir-de-Bretagne to Baltimore and St. Pierre & Miquelon.
Going forward, the Neoliner Origin’s rotation will take 5 weeks during the summer and 6 weeks during the winter, for a total of about ten rotations per year.
The transit times associated with this new port of call are as follows:
o Zeebrugge => Montoir : 3j (one-way)
o Zeebrugge Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon : 14j westbound / 21j eastbound
o Zeebrugge Baltimore : 20j westbound / 15j eastbound
o Zeebrugge Halifax : 24j westbound / 11j eastbound
(Photo from Neoline)