A Dutch zero-carbon sailing ship will operate from mid-August carrying passengers and freight on routes across the North Sea, Channel and Bay of Biscay.
The 40m long De Tukker (built 2012) will have maximum cargo capacity of 70 tonnes and 12 passengers between ports including Amsterdam, London, Porto and Antwerp
The ship is currently being re-fitted in the Netherlands where its draught has been increased by an extended keel to make sailing more stable.
Research is being carried out to further reduce fossil-fuel use on board.
The company is developing a three square-rigged masted prototype which aims to carry 500 tonnes of cargo across global deepsea routes. It will be a steel replica of the clipper ‘Noach’ which was originally built in 1857 and which has been called the fastest Dutch sailing vessel ever.