In 2018, Swire Shipping and the University of the South Pacific launched a new project to research and design a low-carbon wind powered, commercially-operated freighter to stimulate outer-island Pacific trade. Route analysis by the Micronesian Centre for Sustainable Transport (MCST) demonstrated a marginal but viable business case if the vessel could be built within budget.
Collaboration with French ship design firm, VPLP resulted in this design for a 40-metre ship, initially targeting the copra trade between RMI, Kiribati . . .
