Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) has launched a new methanol-fuelled wind-assisted ro-ro cargo vessel at Wuchang Shipyard in China.

The vessel named Spirit of Toulouse is a series of three vessels for charter to Airbus to transport aircraft components, LDA said in a statement on its website on Monday.

The vessel features six 35 m tall rotor sails, a wind propulsion system from Norsepower, and two dual-fuel engines capable of running on methanol and conventional marine fuels.

Wind propulsion systems harness wind energy to supplement engine power, thereby reducing overall bunker fuel consumption.

LDA claims each vessel is expected to deliver a 70% reduction in CO2 emissions on a yearly basis compared to traditional vessels of the same class.

“Equipped with routing software to optimize their routes, they will be able to maximize wind propulsion and minimize drag from adverse ocean conditions,” LDA said.

“This is further improved using an advanced AI-powered control solution, which enables the vessels to adapt to changing external weather and sea conditions and achieve vessel-specific aerodynamic optimization.”