After two years in operation: Canopée’s results
Two years, four wingsails, one unequivocal result: wind propulsion is delivering on its promise.
Since its launch, Canopée, the first industrial cargo ship fitted with four automated OceanWings® rigid wingsails, has sailed the Atlantic with a clear objective: to demonstrate that wind propulsion is a credible, robust and high-performing solution for modern maritime transport.
Today, as the Académie de Marine presents the Henri Kummerman Prize to the consortium behind the project (ArianeGroup, Alizés, VPLP and OceanWings), the results are in – concrete, measured and promising for the future.
Measurable performance
On average, each wingsail saves 1.3 tonnes of fuel per day, equivalent to around 300 kW of engine power. Across the four OceanWings, that represents more than 5 tonnes of fuel saved every day, or nearly 21 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent avoided.
These figures continue to improve thanks to the ongoing development of OceanWings’ software and AI platform. On one of the most recent transatlantic crossings, Canopée achieved savings of 2.2 tonnes per wingsail per day, equivalent to 2 MW of engine power for the vessel as a whole. It was even recorded at 13.7 knots under sail alone, confirming the full potential of wind propulsion in commercial shipping.
Proven reliability
With an operational availability rate of 99.6%, the OceanWings have proven their robustness, their adaptability and their compatibility with the demands of industrial operations, including on demanding transatlantic routes such as those serving the Guiana Space Centre for Ariane 6.
A strengthened conviction
For Alizés (the Jifmar – Zéphyr & Borée joint venture), these results not only confirm the technological choices made from the outset, but also strengthen the conviction that wind propulsion is a major lever in the maritime energy transition.
Photo: Tom van Oossanen