Award-winning hybrid cargo ship saves 5.2 tonnes of fuel daily over two years

The vessel, equipped with four automated OceanWings, is reporting average daily fuel savings of 5.2 tonnes – equivalent to 20.8 tonnes of CO2 – under routine operating conditions, according to operational data released by the vessel’s operators.

Canopée, managed by Alizés, was purpose-built for the demanding task of transporting Ariane 6 rocket components between Europe and French Guiana. Each of its four 37-m OceanWings sails is credited with saving around 1.3 tonnes of fuel per day, or about 300 kW of equivalent engine power. Notably, on recent transatlantic voyages, savings have reached 2.2 tonnes per day per wing, and the vessel has achieved speeds of 13.7 knots under sail alone. The OceanWings system has also demonstrated 99.6% operational availability over two years, supporting claims of reliability and seamless integration.

Last September, the vessel won Riviera’s prestigious Vessel of the Year Award at the Maritime Decarbonisation Conference, Europe in Amsterdam. This accolade is reserved for vessels that set new benchmarks in vessel optimisation and decarbonisation. The citation commended Canopée for demonstrating that large-scale hybridisation is not just a theoretical possibility but a practical, scaleable solution reliable enough for demanding commercial schedules.