The 'Spirit of Toulouse' (Spirit of Toulouse) has reached a new stage of construction as the first of three leading RoRo ships with wind-assisted power, having installed its six rotating sails. This ship, currently under construction in China, is the largest RoRo ship equipped with wind-assisted power and also has the highest number of mechanical sails installed on a single vessel.
Details of the Ship and Structural Features
The 'Spirit of Toulouse' has a gross weight of 19,000 tons and is equipped with six Norsepower rotating sails. Each of these sails measures 35 meters by 5 meters and is connected to two dual-fuel main engines and two dual-fuel generator sets that can operate on e-methanol, bio-methanol, or marine diesel. LD Armateurs, which is building this ship for lease to Airbus, expects each vessel to achieve a 70% annual reduction in CO2 compared to its two current ships in the Atlantic.
History and Construction Phases of the Ship
The design and construction of these pioneering ships began in 2024 and are being carried out at the Wuchang shipyard, a part of the CSSC group in China. The hull of the 'Spirit of Toulouse' was launched in early 2026 and began its journey through the Yangtze River to Shanghai in September of the same year. Currently, the outfitting and installation of the sails are taking place at a facility in Shanghai.
According to Heikki Pöntinen, CEO of Norsepower, the completion of the installation of six rotating sails on the 'Spirit of Toulouse' is a significant achievement for wind-assisted power in the RoRo sector. Wind-assisted power is increasingly expanding and is being utilized from tankers to cargo ships and RoRo and cruise ships.
With the installation of all sails, these sails will be tested and evaluated during upcoming sea trials to confirm their performance and integration with the existing systems on the ship. Further optimization and fine-tuning will continue during the inaugural voyage of the ship from China to France.
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