Energy Observer

Designed in partnership with a naval architect team and the CEA-LITEN of Grenoble, this experimental vessel is going to be the first with autonomous means of producing hydrogen on board and without emitting greenhouse gas emissions using renewable energies. The boat will produce and store hydrogen using seawater thanks to an energy mix involving: 3 types of solar panels spreading over a surface of 130 square meters (21 kW peak), 2 vertical axis wind turbines (2 x 1 kW), 1 traction kite and 2 reversible electric motors (2x41 kW) of hydrogenation, 1 lithium battery (106 kWh), 1 desalinisator, 1 electrolyser, 1 compressor, 1 fuel cell (22 kW), and 62 kg of hydrogen. The complete hydrogen system weighs 2100 kilos. A new, lighter battery will be implemented in 2019.[7]

Energy Observer launched in winter 2017 for a series of tests at sea before its big departure from Saint-Malo in the spring. It will call in at Paris for a first event where the boat will be officially baptised. This event will celebrate the start of a six-year expedition, scheduled from 2017 to 2022, visiting 50 countries and 101 ports of call including: historical ports, wildlife sanctuaries, natural reserves, endangered ecosystems, and international events. Expedition goals include reconciling ecology and technology, and proving that it is possible to reduce our impact on the environment without reducing our comfort.[8]

Energy Observer joins a vein of big projects for research and development sharing a calling for technology, society and the environment and carrying a message in favour of renewable energies. In this vein we can also name the polar schooner Tara, that has travelled across the oceans since 2007 for science and the protection of the environment, Solar Impulse, the first solar plane, or even Planet Solar which became the first solar electric vehicle ever to circumnavigate the globe in 2010. In October 2016, the foundation Race for Water Odyssey announced that it was introducing hydrogen technology to the Planet Solar catamaran utilising solely solar energy, for an expedition around the world with similar ambitions to the Energy Observer project.[9]
Planned, but not yet realized ships with hydrogen fuel production aboard with renewable energies are the "orcelle".[10] This ferry should be the "green flagship" of the Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, a Norwegian-Swedish shipping Company. She uses sun and wave energy to produce hydrogen aboard for propulsion of the vessel. Another hydrogen ship, also not realized so far, is the deepsea yacht "eco trimaran",[11][12] using also the energy of sun and waves. Wind energy is utilized not by sails, but by a wind turbine. So this energy source may also contribute to hydrogen production aboard, even in mooring times.

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