The state-of-the-art transport ship ‘Canopée’ has been specially designed to transport rockets, components and satellites for the European Space Agency
Dutch provider of maritime solutions Neptune Marine has won the Ship of the Year Award 2023 for the Canopée, a double-propelled open-top roll-on/roll-off vessel with wind-assisted marine propulsion.
The award was announced on last week (November 6) at the Maritime Awards Gala held ahead of the Europort 2023 exhibition for the maritime sector in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Canopée has been custom-built to meet the complex requirements of Ariane 6 transport. It is a hybrid-propulsion vessel designed to ship all the launcher stages and sub-assemblies together, to be environmentally friendly and halve shipping costs by the use of wingsails.
Canopée’s structure is tailored to be able to carry large, fragile loads and to navigate the shallow Kourou river in French Guiana right up to Pariacabo harbor. Canopée is 121 metres long, with a 22-metre beam. Its total displacement tonnage is 10,000 tons, and it can travel at a speed of 17 knots.
Construction of Canopée began in 2020 in the Polish port of Sczezcin, which included assembly of structural elements, installation of engines and control systems. It launched in June 22 bound for Rotterdam, where where fitting out was completed: cabling, navigation instrumentation, system start-up, router implementation and cabin layout.
Following sea trials, Canopée’s seaworthiness certificate was received on December 23, 2022. ArianeGroup began operating Canopée at the end of December 2022, allowing the ship to make its first ocean crossing to French Guiana and complete sea trials.
Canopée has four electrically adjustable and retractable articulated wings, each 363 m2 in size, which act as sails. These make a significant contribution to reducing fuel consumption and thus harmful emissions. In addition to sail and electrical propulsion, the ship is equipped with diesel engines.
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