DHL to use wind-powered cargo trimarans for trans-Atlantic freight

DHL Global Forwarding plans to start using Vela’s wind-powered cargo trimarans on a trans-Atlantic freight route in 2027, in a move aimed at giving shippers a lower-emissions option for higher-value goods that do not need to move by air.

The plan, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, centers on 220-foot aluminum trimarans that Vela says are propelled only by wind. The company says the vessels can carry up to 415 metric tons of cargo and reach about 14 knots, with crossings taking roughly two weeks.

DHL said the service would run alongside its existing freight business rather than replace it. Laurent Terreyre, chief executive of DHL Global Forwarding France, said the company is committed to decarbonizing transport and expanding options for customers.

What Vela is building

Vela describes the ships as a wind-only cargo system designed to bridge part of the gap between air freight and traditional ocean freight. The company says the trimarans can cut greenhouse-gas emissions by up to 99% versus air freight and up to 90% versus conventional sea freight, depending on the route.

Vela expects to have five trimarans operating by 2030, supporting a weekly shipment goal.

The vessels are still being built, so the commercial model has not yet been proven at scale.

Cargo and customers

The reporting says the ships are intended to carry goods such as pharmaceuticals, wine and cosmetics, categories that can tolerate slower transit times than air freight but may still benefit from more predictable logistics than standard ocean service.

The report also says Vela is partnered with Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

One of Vela’s founders, Michaël Fernandez-Ferri, said the company is harnessing the power of the wind and using only wind for propulsion.

Why it matters

Wind-assisted and wind-only shipping is part of a broader push to reduce emissions from freight transport. For DHL and Vela, the pitch is that some cargo can move by sea without the carbon intensity of air freight and without relying entirely on conventional marine fuel.

The main open questions are operational: when the first commercial sailing will depart, which ports it will serve, and how DHL will price or allocate space on the service.