Bahamas-based Veer Corp has received approval in principle from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for its new-look containership design， and has stated it now aims to have two of these ships built and in the water by 2024.

The 100 m long vessels feature sails as well as green hydrogen fuel cell engines.

“Receiving this AIP from a recognised organization such as ABS sets Veer apart from other conceptual projects，” said Danielle Doggett， CEO of Veer. “We are making significant progress – you can feel that it’s really happening.”

Cosmetics firm LUSH has come out in support of project with the company stating: “Our roadmap to net zero transport means being early adopters of hydrogen shipping and so we are very excited at the possibility of partnering with Veer’s first vessel. The prospect of a direct partnership and meticulously designed vessels to enable efficient service， brings us much needed hope.’’

Veer said it is now looking forward to receiving tender responses to its bid package from shipyards， with the aim of having selected a shipyard by the end of this year， and to begin shipping with two vessels featuring DynaRig sail systems by the end of 2024.

Doggett is also founder and CEO of SAILCARGO， a Costa Rican green shipping initiative， as well as co-founder of AstilleroVerde， a shipyard association for coastal communities.

Wind propulsion has progressed from a perceived blue sky technology in the previous decade to gaining industry interest in recent years. The conversion of that interest into investment is now happening at a rapid pace， with large commercial vessels featuring wind-assisted propulsion passing the 1m dwt cargo carrying capacity mark.

There are currently 21 large vessels with wind propulsion systems installed onboard and that number will likely grow to 25 – totalling 1.2m dwt – by the end of this year， according to the International Windship Association (IWSA).