Berg Propulsion has won a contract for the hybrid propulsion solution to three wind-assisted Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) ro-ro vessels.

Built in China’s CSSC yard by Wuchang Shipbuilding, from 2026 onwards these LDA vessels will carry Airbus A320 Family jetliner subassemblies from Saint-Nazaire, France to the assembly line in Mobile, Alabama. The ships have been designed by Deltamarin with the aim of halving fuel burn and CO2 emissions in transatlantic operations compared to a 2023 baseline.

Wind power drawn from six Flettner rotor-sails on each ship’s deck will aid the reduction in emissions, compounded by weather routing optimisation software in place to maximise wind-assisted time and minimise drag. In conventional mode, the ships will run on dual fuel methanol engines.