Sailcargo & Coffee

AUTHOR: Jeremy Starn

SAILCARGO INC. is proud to be partnering with Café William to deliver the first zero-emission sailing cargo ship, which will transport coffee beans from South America to Café William's roasting plant in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

"This is a world premiere in the shipping industry. Ceiba is a sustainably built vessel that will sail 250 tons of cargo with zero emissions. When it goes into operation in 2023, it will be the world's largest active, clean ocean freight vessel," said Danielle Doggett, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SAILCARGO INC.

Ceiba is a three-masted traditional topsail schooner being built at the world's first regenerative shipyard in Costa Rica. As the first in a line of ships, Ceiba will have an auxiliary electric engine to maximize reliability and efficiency. These electric engines will also use batteries regenerated by the ship's propellers when under sail.

"We have been investing for several years to rethink the value chain and make it sustainable, and this innovation is part of that commitment. Since coffee trees do not grow in cold regions like ours, they are inevitably transported over long distances," says Serge Picard, owner of Café William located in Canada. "Our investment in this innovative project will allow us to considerably reduce our carbon footprint and, along with our other projects, to eventually produce a zero-emission coffee, a first in the coffee world," concludes Mr. Picard.

Maritime transport is a crucial link in the production of coffee and contributes to the overwhelming emissions of the shipping industry. SAILCARGO INC's vision is to prove the value of clean shipping by promoting access to sustainable supply chains. The two companies believe that by leveraging Café William's market reach with the regenerative shipping model of Ceiba, it is possible to lead the way towards a zero-emission world.

In 2021, the Embassy of Costa Rica located in Canada awarded SAILCARGO INC. with a Costa Rica - Canada 100 Years Commemorative Medal as a private company that further strengthens the excellent relations between the two countries.

Mauricio Ortiz, Ambassador of Costa Rica in Canada, said that they gave the medal to SAILCARGO INC. for its quality of innovation, sustainable environmental concept, projection to the local community, and a global vision and mission. It was designed by the Embassy of Costa Rica and the graphic artist Sam Garcia and graphically represents the national symbols of both countries: the maple leaf for Canada and the purple guaria for Costa Rica.

CEO and co-founder of SAILCARGO INC. Canada is currently one of Costa Rica's most important partners with whom it shares pillars of democracy, human rights, and respect for the environment. Danielle Dogget expressed the honor of having been considered for recognition of this type. She added that it motivates her to continue to generate a positive change in the world.