Chantiers de l'Atlantique

Chantiers de l'Atlantique is a French shipbuilder in Saint-Nazaire. It specialises in complex vessels, mainly large cruise ships, and also builds military vessels and electrical substations for offshore wind farms. It also provides lifecycle support for naval customers. Its Ecorizon R&D programme, set up in 2007, works on energy efficiency and emissions reduction.

In wind propulsion, the yard developed SolidSail, a rig made of rigid composite sail panels on a rotating carbon mast. SolidSail has its own website, launched in March 2024. Two versions are marketed. The SolidSail 800 is a full rig with main sail and jib on a symmetric boom for vessels of 70–150 m. The SolidSail 1500, for vessels of 120–400 m, has a mast that can tilt up to 70° to clear bridges and handle port operations. According to the company, a SolidSail 1500 rig can cut fuel use by about 1,000 tonnes per year. The sails are hoisted in up to seven minutes, controlled from the wheelhouse and designed for a 25-year panel life.

The first applications are the Silenseas sailing cruise ship for Orient Express, built at Saint-Nazaire, and Neoline's Neoliner cargo ship. The company also shows concept studies for RoRo ships, container ships and VLCCs.