New Aquitaine by Train: A 7-Day Car-Free Itinerary
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Published on 7/3/27
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On August 24, 2026, The government announced funding for six new low-carbon ship projects as part of France 2030, for a total of 21.4 million euros. This is news we can only welcome (and all the more so when we consider that one of the recipients is none other than our partner Sailcoop, which already enables members of the HOURRAIL Club! to enjoy exclusive discounts on sailing trips to Corsica and the Glénan Islands). We’ll tell you more about this announcement, the resulting sailing ferry project, and, more broadly, France’s stance on decarbonizing maritime transport.
On August 24, 2026, three ministers (Philippe Tabarot, Minister of Transportation; Catherine Chabaud, Minister of Maritime Affairs; Sébastien Martin for Industry) announced six new winners of the “CORIMER Low-Carbon Vessel” call for projects, for a total amount of 21.4 million euros. This is the second round of funding under this program, and it confirms a genuine shift in the French maritime sector.
CORIMER (Advisory Council for Research and Innovation in the Maritime Industry) is the body that, on behalf of the government, oversees support for innovation in the French maritime sector. Launched in January 2025 and operated by ADEME on behalf of the General Secretariat for Investment, the “Low-Carbon Vessel” call for projects aims to foster the development of French industrial solutions capable of rapidly reducing emissions from maritime transport, while strengthening the technological sovereignty of the shipbuilding sector.
Of the 17 proposals submitted, six were selected, each focusing on a different approach to decarbonization:
| Project | Carrier | Decarbonization Lever | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| GDS 3 | Grain de Sail Shipping + Chantiers de l'Atlantique | Sail-powered cargo ships | Brittany |
| EO3 | Energy Observer + EO Concept | Multi-energy chain | Brittany |
| Searenity | Subsea Tech + Naval Group, ENSTA, University of South Brittany, CMA CGM | Biofouling-Cleaning Drone | Pays de la Loire |
| Corsica Favorite 2025 | Sailcoop | Fossil-Fuel-Free Passenger Ship | New Aquitaine |
| Vectra | Union of Port Pilots of Marseille and the Gulf of Fos | Electric harbor launch | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Biogas | Sapaic Industries + FEV | 1,000-kW biomethane engine | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes |
Regarding the individual amount allocated to each project, the government’s press release mentions only the total budget of 21.4 million euros for all six. It should also be noted that while this type of program funds research, development, or demonstration projects, it does not fund solutions that have already been commercially deployed. Several of these vessels therefore currently exist only on paper.
This second round of funding follows an initial round, announced on February 6, 2026, which had already provided 6.8 million euros in support for three projects. In total, there are now nine projects funded by France 2030 under this program, for a total of 28.2 million euros. And more are expected to follow, as CORIMER launched a new call for expressions of interest at the end of July 2026 to identify the next projects to be supported (open until September 30, 2026).
Of the six winners, one name is particularly familiar to us: the sailboat travel cooperative Sailcoop. Its project, called “Corsica Favorite 2025,” aims to take its mainland-Corsica route to a whole new level.
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Specifically, the Corsica Favorite 2025 project involves the design, construction, and operation of a passenger ship powered entirely by renewable energy for crossings between the mainland and Corsica, with the goal of a reduction of at least 80% in CO2 emissions per passenger. A ship that aims to be the “world’s first sailing ferry, designed to carry 80 passengers between Corsica and the mainland”—ten times the capacity of its current sailboats on the Corsica route (8 passengers).
In practice, the vessel is to be built at the Chantier de l'Arsenal shipyard in La Rochelle—the same shipyard that previously delivered Sailcoop’s catamaran Isabelle in 2024 (leased to the residents of the Glénan Islands for the season), followed by the Samantha in 2025, which currently operates the Concarneau-Glénan route.
In terms of technical specifications, the vessel is 12 meters wide, has a cruising speed of 8.5 knots, and is powered primarily by sails, supplemented by a hybrid electric auxiliary engine and HVO 100 for port maneuvers. Admittedly, this supplemental fuel is still a biofuel, which slightly qualifies the “zero fossil fuel” claim used by the government. However, the targeted reduction (an 80% reduction in CO2 per passenger) remains extremely significant. The goal is to have the ship in service by 2028.
No need to wait until 2028 to test the concept! Sailcoop is already operating sailing crossings toward the Glénan Islands (departing from Concarneau and Beg-Meil) and to Corsica (departing from Saint-Raphaël), on 15-meter sailboats that accommodate 8 passengers. As a member of the HOURRAIL Club!, in addition to all the other exclusive Club benefits, you’ll enjoy 10% off the Glénan collection and 5% off the Corsica route.
© Sailcoop - 3D model of the future ship
Decarbonizing the maritime sector does not rely on a single technology. In addition to Sailcoop, the five other winning projects address a wide range of approaches.
Grain de Sail, Already known for transporting its coffee and chocolate by sailing cargo ship since 2020, the company is now leading the GDS 3 project in partnership with Chantiers de l'Atlantique: a demonstration container ship powered primarily by sails, developed in Brittany. The goal is to establish a French industrial sector for sail-powered freight shipping, capable of producing exportable low-carbon cargo ships.
© Grain de Sail
The Searenity project, led by Subsea Tech Together with Naval Group, ENSTA, and CMA CGM, it is developing an autonomous underwater drone to remove biofouling—the marine growth that increases hull drag and fuel consumption on ships. Meanwhile, the Vectra project is electrifying a high-speed patrol boat used by harbor pilots at the entrances to major ports, such as Marseille-Fos. These are two complementary approaches: reducing the fuel consumption of existing ships rather than waiting for new propulsion systems.
That's the goal of the project Biogas, led by Sapaic Industries in partnership with the equipment manufacturer FEV: to develop a 1,000-kW V12 gas engine powered by biomethane, a renewable resource available in France. This funding will enable the engine to be tested and its electronic control unit to be developed, offering an alternative to electrification for heavy-duty engines, where batteries remain ill-suited.
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As we know, the traditional ferry is not a low-carbon mode of transportation. Its fuel consumption and emissions per passenger remain high (as detailed below). But for many routes, particularly to islands, it is sometimes the only practical alternative to flying: there isn’t always a rail or road option available for traveling to Corsica, Sardinia, or other island destinations. And it is this lack of options that makes projects like Corsica FAVORITE so meaningful: offering, on these limited routes, a true low-carbon alternative to the conventional ferry, rather than having to choose between flying and a boat that pollutes almost as much.
It’s also worth noting that public support for these island routes is far from balanced between the two regions. Since 2017, for example, the Brittany Region has delegated service to the Breton islands (Ouessant, Molène, Sein, Groix, Belle-Île...) to companies such as Keolis and Transdev through a public service delegation contract worth several million euros per year. Low-emission operators such as Sailcoop and Iliens, on the other hand, do not currently receive any comparable structural funding from the relevant regions and therefore remain dependent on one-off calls for proposals such as CORIMER.
As a point of reference, the European Environment Agency estimates that the ferry already emits an average of One-third as much CO2 per passenger per kilometer as an airplane. This figure should be viewed as an order of magnitude rather than an absolute truth: the NGO Transport & Environment itself considers it approximate, and to date there are no official emission factors from ADEME for passenger shipping because, unlike rail or air travel, the calculation method is still a subject of debate among researchers (allocation of emissions among passengers, cargo, and vehicles on board; consideration of load factors, etc.).
What we do know, however, is that a conventional ferry consumes large quantities of heavy fuel oil.
On the mainland-Corsica route, these emissions are estimated at 219 kg of CO2 equivalent per passenger for a standard ferry crossing. In contrast, Sailcoop’s sailing crossings drastically reduce this carbon footprint: during its first operating season (2022), the cooperative estimates that it emitted 12.8 kg CO2 equivalents per passenger on this same route, representing a reduction of approximately 94% compared to a conventional ferry.
And according to the latest figures from Sailcoop: 90 to 95 percent fewer emissions than a conventional ferry, depending on the type of crossing (day or night), and 85 percent fewer than air travel.
That is the whole point of projects like Corsica Favorite 2025: to move from a niche service (8 passengers per crossing) to one capable of handling a significant portion of the traffic to Corsica, while preserving the unique experience of sailing. For shorter routes, such as those to Groix, Belle-Île, or the Glénan Islands, sailing has already proven its worth and functions as a true daily shuttle during the season.
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© Sailcoop - Cabin of a Sailcoop sailboat
Trains remain, by far, the lowest-carbon mode of land transportation for long distances. But France’s strategy for decarbonizing transportation doesn’t stop at rail: from sail-powered freight ships to low-carbon ferries and the electrification of port operations, the entire freight and passenger transport chain is involved. This will gradually but surely expand the range of ways to travel from France without flying.
It's hard to claim victory too soon. Most of these six projects are still in the demonstration or testing phase, with implementation scheduled to begin in 2027–2028.
Financial and Operational Scale remains modest as well: 21.4 million euros (28.2 million cumulatively since 2025), compared with a maritime sector that alone accounts for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Finally, it’s important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture: the government’s major announcements on low-carbon mobility have not always been followed by results that lived up to the promises. The 100-billion-euro rail plan, announced by Élisabeth Borne in February 2023, is one example: the investments actually made since then have fallen far short of the announced trajectory. The same is true of the Citizens’ Climate Convention, whose proposals Emmanuel Macron had promised to adopt “unfiltered” in 2020: in the end, only a small portion of them was incorporated into law as is. This serves as a reminder that a funding announcement, even if sincere, does not in and of itself guarantee implementation on the promised scale.
Nevertheless, these nuances do not detract from the value of this initiative: every metric ton of CO2 avoided counts. And above all, these projects demonstrate that a French maritime decarbonization sector is taking shape on several fronts at once, from sail propulsion to biomethane.
Of course, just as with trains, the best way to travel with a low carbon footprint is often to travel shorter distances, less frequently, or in a different way: Technological innovation complements frugality; it does not replace it. But these alternatives offer just as many additional ways to reach the French islands and coastlines without getting on a plane.
In the meantime, the best way to support this movement is to start traveling differently today. By joining the HOURRAIL Club!, you get access to our Premium app to plan your trips without flying or driving, and—best of all—discounts negotiated with our partners like Sailcoop (as well as other low-carbon travel partners: 15% off sailing trips to Belle-Île with The Islanders and on the ferries to Groix Island with Bag Hatoup, as well as discounts on your accommodations—for example, €34 off your reservation GreenGo and 20% off your membership HomeExchange, and of course discounts on your train tickets all year round—right now, 25% off all trips Eurostar and 20% off the Caledonian Sleeper (to travel to Scotland by train).
Issue du monde de la communication et des médias, Sophie est Responsable éditoriale chez HOURRAIL ! depuis août 2024. Elle est notamment derrière le contenu éditorial du site ainsi que La Locomissive (de l'inspiration voyage bas carbone et des bons plans, un jeudi sur deux, gratuitement dans ta boîte mail !).
Convaincue que les changements d’habitude passent par la transformation de nos imaginaires, elle s’attache à montrer qu’il est possible de voyager autrement, de manière plus consciente, plus lente et plus joyeuse. Son objectif : rendre le slow travel accessible à toutes et tous, à travers des astuces, des décryptages et surtout, de nouveaux récits.
