Two years after its launch, Canopée — the first industrial cargo vessel equipped with four automated OceanWings (Paris, France) composite wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS) — has clearly demonstrated the potential of wind-assisted propulsion.
Designed to transport components of the Ariane 6 rocket between Europe and French Guiana, Canopée operates under demanding transatlantic and European schedules and conditions. The integration of OceanWings has not only improved fuel efficiency but also demonstrated, over 2 years in operation, the reliability and uptime performance of wind-assisted propulsion for merchant shipping. These results have strongly validated the technological and operational choices made at the project’s inception.