On August 15, 2025, a logistics project with a clear focus on sustainability will start in Bremerhaven: The cargo ship Avontuur will take on technical components for a production facility on the Cape Verde Islands at the fishing port. According to the northern German company Aquamondis, the transport will take place as part of the maritime event Sail Bremerhaven 2025. The traditional sailing ship "Avontuur," which enables commercial freight transport without fossil fuels, is provided by the shipping company Timbercoast.
Climate-neutral sea transport as part of a comprehensive concept
The use of a cargo sailing ship is an integral part of the production and logistics concept of Aquamondis. According to the company, the entire lifecycle of the planned Spirulina plant on Cape Verde is to be CO2-neutral—from energy supply through nutrient
cycles to maritime transport. By avoiding conventional ships and fossil fuels in maritime transport, the company aims to completely avoid transport emissions. Transport by sailing ship thus marks the first building block in a holistic sustainable production approach.
Cargo: Trace elements and process chemicals
The cargo of the Avontuur consists of trace elements and sodium bicarbonate. Both substances are required to prepare the algae cultivation process. In particular, the sodium bicarbonate is used to raise the pH level of the production medium to 11 to create optimal conditions for the microalga Spirulina and exclude competing algae species. The loading is scheduled for the morning of August 15, 2025, and the ship's arrival on the Cape Verde Islands is expected by the end of October.
Production facility on the Cape Verde Islands
The planned facility for cultivating Spirulina is being built under climatically favorable conditions on Cape Verde. According to Aquamondis, the location allows for year-round harvesting, which is expected to yield a fourfold increase compared to German facilities. In the first development stage, a greenhouse area of 5,400 square meters will be created. The entire production is based on digitized processes controlled by AI-supported control algorithms. Production is expected to start about eight months after the start of construction. An initial harvest can occur about 20 days after commissioning.
Target product: Natural food coloring
The company plans to extract the blue dye phycocyanin from the harvested microalgae. This is used in the food industry for coloring beverages and sweets, among other things. Aquamondis points to an expected increase in demand, as there
are impending regulatory restrictions on artificial colorants in both the European Union and the United States.
Financing through digital participation
Alongside the project implementation, Aquamondis has launched a crowd investing campaign via the online platform fundernation.eu. The aim, according to the company, is to involve private investors in the sustainable development of the project.
Significance for logistics and freight transport
By using a sailing ship to transport industrial production materials, the project sends a signal for alternative transport solutions in freight transport. While the main transport is CO2-free by sea, the distribution of materials within Europe and the subsequent processing and distribution of the dye products will likely also include conventional road transport. For players in road freight transport, the project thus represents a relevant application case for multimodal and sustainable
