DHL Global Forwarding announced a new agreement with wind-powered maritime transport company VELA to offer a transatlantic cargo shipping service using wind-powered ships, enabling emissions reductions of up to 99% compared to air freight and up to 90% compared to conventional sea freight.
Founded in 2023, France-based VELA develops and operates wind-powered cargo vessels for transatlantic freight transport, using high-performance trimaran designs inspired by offshore racing to provide lower-emissions maritime shipping solutions.
The companies said that the new service will initially operate direct sailings between Caen-Ouistreham, France, and New Haven, Connecticut, with plans to expand to a fleet of five vessels offering up to one weekly transatlantic departure. Each voyage will transport up to 600 EU pallets with a targeted transit time of 15 days, making transit time similar to typical ocean shipping in terms of speed, reliability, and traceability.
Under the partnership, DHL Global Forwarding France will provide transport organization, pre-carriage, on-carriage, customs, warehousing, and associated logistics services, while VELA will supply its wind-powered maritime transport solution, the companies said.
Laurent Terreyre, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding France, said:
“This partnership with VELA represents a concrete step in that direction, allowing us to integrate a dedicated, locally anchored wind-powered shipping option into our customer offering. Developed with a partner that shares our focus on service quality, this initiative reflects our approach of combining logistics expertise with practical, lower-emission solutions.”
According to the companies, the new service is designed for palletized LCL shipments across sectors including pharmaceuticals, high-value and luxury goods, cosmetics, aerospace, and wine and spirits industries on routes between Europe and the United States. The vessels will feature VELA’s “CoolSafe” refrigeration system, which will be powered primarily by onboard renewable energy sources.
Michaël Fernandez-Ferri, Managing Director of VELA, said:
“By partnering with DHL Global Forwarding France, we are making wind-powered freight for transatlantic shipping available to a broader range of customers. This collaboration aims to provide a lower-emission alternative that is designed to integrate into existing supply chains with standard logistics processes, while maintaining consistent service standards.”
