US-based Clippership has completed the RINA-approved design of its first autonomous, wind-powered cargo vessel and signed a construction contract with Dutch shipyard KM Yachtbuilders.

The 24 m vessel is designed for open-ocean operations and will use twin foldable rigid wings as its main source of propulsion, class society RINA said in an email statement on Thursday.

It will be capable of carrying up to 75 Euro-pallets in a cargo hold and is intended to operate without a crew on long-distance routes. Dykstra Naval Architects has led the naval architecture work, while US-based Glosten completed the structural engineering.

Clippership has developed both the autonomy software and the rigid-wing wind propulsion system in-house. Construction will take place at KM Yachtbuilders in the Netherlands.

The vessel will be classed by RINA as a ‘general cargo ship – powered sailing ship’ with a wind-assisted propulsion system notation and will sail under the Maltese flag.

Launch is planned for late 2026, with pilot services expected to begin soon after on transatlantic, Caribbean and South American routes.