Neoliner Origin Begins Sea Trials: A Major Step for Wind-Powered Cargo Shipping
Neoliner Origin, “the world’s first” commercial sailing roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessel, has officially begun the first phase of its sea trials. The ship is being built for French shipping company Neoline at the RMK Marine shipyard in Turkey.
The trials were formally launched at the end of June 2025 in the Sea of Marmara, off the coast of the RMK Marine yard, located in the Tuzla municipality.
Equipped with nearly 3,000 square meters of sail and two foldable 76-meter-high SolidSail carbon masts—manufactured by France’s Chantiers de l’Atlantique—the 136-meter-long and 24.2-meter-wide cargo vessel was initially launched in January 2025. These sea trials will assess the ship’s overall operational and environmental performance.
According to Neoline, the trials will focus on inspecting the SolidSail system, the orientation and retraction of the sails, engine performance, and other critical elements. A second phase of sea trials is expected to begin in the coming weeks, ahead of the vessel’s official handover.
Naval architecture and engineering firm MAURIC, which worked alongside Neoline, RMK Marine, and other partners in the development of the ship, describes Neoliner Origin as a “major” advancement in the maritime industry’s push towards net-zero emissions. The vessel is expected to reduce emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional cargo transport methods.
MAURIC also stated that these trials could highlight further advantages of wind propulsion technology and represent a decisive step in the broader adoption of sustainable maritime propulsion systems.
In France, wind propulsion technology has gained significant momentum. Maritime stakeholders are increasingly adopting this solution due to its alignment with EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime regulations, lower fuel consumption and operating costs, pressure from investors and cargo owners for greener logistics, and strong national support for maritime decarbonization.
By the end of 2024, France’s sailing fleet consisted of eleven large vessels, with four newbuilds added that year. Association Wind Ship also reported that fifteen additional vessels featuring wind propulsion were under construction at the time.
In a strong show of support for this movement, the French government has accelerated efforts to promote wind-assisted propulsion. In April 2025, government officials and maritime stakeholders signed a historic pact to advance wind propulsion, aiming to capture 30% of the global market share using French-made systems.
This proposal was submitted to the French National Assembly in June, with the intent of passing it into law. The pact was signed by 50 stakeholders, including Neoline, Association Wind Ship, and representatives from the WISAMO Michelin project.
