Louis Dreyfus Armateurs has launched Spirit of Mobile, the second of three new ro-ro cargo vessels being built for Airbus’ Atlantic logistics chain.
The vessel entered the water at Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group in Wuhan and is scheduled for handover to Louis Dreyfus Armateurs in November 2026. It will transport A320 Family aircraft sections between Saint-Nazaire, France, and Mobile, Alabama.
The three-vessel series includes Spirit of Toulouse, Spirit of Mobile and Spirit of Mirabel. Spirit of Toulouse was launched in February 2026 and is undergoing pre-delivery trials, while Spirit of Mirabel remains under construction. The first vessel is expected to enter service before the end of this year, with Spirit of Mirabel to follow in 2027.
The ships are designed to carry wings, fuselage sections, engine pylons and tail assemblies for Airbus single-aisle aircraft. Each vessel can carry six complete aircraft subassembly sets per voyage, while also carrying around 70 forty-foot containers.
The program follows Airbus’ 2023 selection of Louis Dreyfus Armateurs to renew the chartered fleet serving its transatlantic production logistics. The new ships are expected to reduce average annual transatlantic CO2 emissions from about 68,000 tonnes in 2023 to 33,000 tonnes by 2030.
Each vessel will be fitted with six 35 m rotor sails supplied by Norsepower. The wind-assisted propulsion system is expected to provide 15% to 20% of propulsion energy on the transatlantic route, depending on weather and operating conditions.
The vessels will also feature dual-fuel propulsion with two methanol-capable main engines and two methanol-capable auxiliary engines. They can operate on marine diesel oil or methanol, with a planned gradual transition toward e-methanol as fuel supply infrastructure develops.
The design package was prepared by Deltamarin, with classification by Bureau Veritas. Power management and propulsion integration are provided by BERG. The vessels will also include waste heat recovery, recycled-steel propeller and shaft lines, low-friction coatings and AI-supported routing and control systems.
