The cormorant, an elegant and agile seabird, is our inspiration. Like this bird, our wings seize every opportunity offered by nature, combining wind and sun to propel your vessel. Inspired by its simplicity and resilience, we designed a solution to accompany you across all the world’s seas.
Cormoran is an innovative industrial start-up based in Lorient and creator of France’s first rigid solar propulsion wing. This wing, equipped with photovoltaic panels, is designed to fit all types of commercial ships, from small vessels to large bulk carriers and container ships, with surface areas ranging from 10 m² to 500 m².
Each wing is custom-built to meet the specific needs of shipowners.
Laurent Mermier began his career as a naval architect at the Leroux and Lotz Naval shipyard in 1993.
He led several innovative projects, including the NGVs for Corsica and the cruise ship Le Levant for Compagnie des Îles du Ponant. Laurent later became deputy technical director at the Alstom Leroux Naval group before founding the naval architecture firm Ship ST in 2002.
Laurent is an expert in maritime engineering and holds eight patents, two of which were sold to Chantiers de l’Atlantique. He focused Ship ST’s activities on innovation, developing vertical bow ships, high-efficiency pump propellers, the Polar Pod, and more.
Drawing on his sailing experience and passion for onboard energy efficiency, Laurent developed a simple, robust solution that combines wind propulsion with photovoltaic panels, inspired by conversations with shipowners.
Marine Rialan leads the development of Cormoran. After raising funds and growing the start-up Beyond the Sea, she spent a year working with Wind Ship, an association that brings together stakeholders in wind-powered maritime transport.
She then sailed across the Atlantic, reinforcing her belief in wind energy’s potential.
With this background, she now brings her expertise and passion to Cormoran to help revolutionize sustainable navigation.
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