Michelin signs on with French transatlantic sail operator
Michelin has signed a transport commitment with French start-up Neoline to transport 50% of its tires on a pilot line from Halifax in Canada to Saint-Nazaire in France by 2023.
The tire manufacturer described the decision to sign with the cargo sailing start-up as a test initiative to help decarbonise Michelin’s logistics operations.
Neoline’s shipping service relies on wind energy as the main propulsion for its 136 m long cargo ships with 4,200 sq m of sails which it claims will reduce by 90% the CO2 emissions related to transatlantic maritime freight transport.
Neoline plans to open its transatlantic line with a first operating vessel in 2023. A second vessel is scheduled to deliver a year later from a yard in France. Neoline has bagged a host of other clients in the run up to its first ship launch, including automaker Renault and cognac maker Hennessy.
“This first step in carbon-free shipping is fully in line with the CSR strategy of Michelin’s operations. It will contribute to achieving the objective of reducing CO2 emissions from logistics by 15% in absolute terms between 2018 and 2030,” said Pierre-Martin Huet, Michelin Group’s supply chain director.