Canopée in French Guiana for the first time

Canopée completed its first transatlantic crossing and docked in French Guiana on 13 January 2023. Custom-designed for ArianeGroup, it will transport parts for the future Ariane 6 launcher to Kourou.

This first crossing will help to assess the port infrastructure and the route of the ship's future rotations. Ultimately, Canopée will halve the cost of transporting Ariane launcher components, while reducing the environmental footprint.

The next stage will be qualification tests in the various ports that will receive the ship, before the Ariane 6 launcher components are delivered this summer for the maiden flight.

This hybrid ship, 121 metres long and 22 metres wide, is designed to transport all the launcher's stages and sub-assemblies in a single operation, while meeting environmental challenges and halving transport costs, thanks in particular to articulated sails that use wind power.

It can transport large, fragile packages, as well as navigate the narrow and shallow Kourou River to the port of Pariacabo in Kourou.

For more information, click here.