Manitou Group, a manufacturer of equipment for handling, aerial work platforms and earthmoving, has formalised its partnership with compatriot French shipping firm Neoline, which will see the group’s red industrial vehicles transported by sail across the Atlantic.
Neoline’s new sail-assisted roros will take Manitou equipment from Saint-Nazaire on the west coast of France to the US port of Baltimore. The construction of the first of two sailing roros will start in the coming months.
Manitou sells more than 1,000 pieces of equipment to the US market each year. The new ships will be able to fit just over 40 Manitou machines for each voyage.
The landmark new ships will be 136 m long and have a sail surface of 4,200 sq m. They will serve a new transatlantic route between St-Nazaire, Baltimore, Halifax, and St-Pierre & Miquelon. A second ship with equivalent specifications will follow as soon as possible to achieve a rate of departure of every two weeks.
Jean Zanuttini, president of Neoline Développement, commented: “By signing this contract, Manitou Group is demonstrating its resolute commitment to the energy transition of its supply chain. Thereby, Manitou Group gains access to a new generation of maritime transport designed to reduce environmental impact as much as possible while fully meeting its logistics needs.”
