Follow our latest adventures. If you wish to receive images, videos or press texts, please contact our press service.
New York City, April 10, 2024 - Energy Observer, the world's first self-sufficient, zero-emission laboratory vessel dedicated to testing technological solutions for low-carbon energy production, is docking in New York City from April 10 to April 22, 2024.
In 2024, more than half the world's population will be called to the polls. From the United States to South Africa, from Asia to Europe, these votes will have a direct impact on energy choices and ultimately on our ability to fight climate change, develop solutions to reduce our dependence on carbon-based energies and achieve our common goal of a more sustainable future.
As France's first ambassador for the SDGs, Energy Observer will be sailing to Washington and then to New York to meet with institutional bodies, investors, opinion leaders and the general public at this time of strategic choices. The vessel will then cross the Atlantic for the 3rd time before returning to her home port of Saint Malo, and to the place of her christening in Paris (2017) to coincide with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. A decisive and exciting year!
Dans cette série documentaire, Victorien Erussard, fondateur d’Energy Observer et passionné des questions énergétiques, va à la rencontre des pionniers de l’hydrogène bas carbone sur le territoire afin de comprendre le rôle que ce vecteur énergétique peut réellement jouer dans notre transition.
Comment l’hydrogène peut-il contribuer à décarboner nos transports ? Notre industrie ? Nos océans ? Comment allons-nous le produire ? En découvrant de manière concrète les innovations et applications existantes sur le territoire, cette série vient répondre aux grandes questions que soulève encore cette molécule et révèle le formidable dynamisme de la filière H2 en France.
"Cela fait 10 ans que je crois au potentiel de l’hydrogène pour réduire notre impact carbone. Notre navire laboratoire Energy Observer, navigue depuis 6 ans autour du monde alimenté en partie grâce à l'hydrogène vert que nous produisons à bord. En France, cette molécule polarise le débat sur notre futur énergétique et pose encore des questions. Malgré cela, une filière importante est en train d’émerger sur notre territoire, une filière qui il y a quelques années n'existait presque pas. Avec mon équipe, j’ai voulu aller aux 4 coins du pays pour mieux comprendre le potentiel de l’hydrogène bas carbone et rencontrer ses pionniers, ceux pour qui l’hydrogène est déjà une réalité! "
Victorien Erussard, Président, capitaine et fondateur d'Energy Observer
The first vessel powered by renewable energies and hydrogen inaugurates her Brazilian stopover in Fortaleza on November 16, in the presence of local authorities and partners, for the 83rd stop of her round-the-world Odyssey.
After 23 days of sailing from Walvis Bay in Namibia and 3,385 nautical miles, the catamaran docked in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceàra. The region is highly favorable to the development of wind energy, and the country's northeast is home to the country's best wind resources, with 80% of the national wind farms. Brazil's energy sector is one of the most diversified and and less carbon intensive in the world. It’s a perfect place to study and encounter, and a source of inspiration for Energy Observer's crew during this ten-day stopover.
For Victorien Erussard, President, captain and founder of Energy Observer :
“As a passionate lover of the sea, I dream of decarbonizing the maritime sector. Our collaboration with Qair, as well as key partners like Air Liquide, Toyota, and Accor, all present at this event, is fundamental in realizing this vision. Each brings a unique and valuable expertise, contributing to a collective momentum towards sustainability. Hydrogen is essential for decarbonizing industry and mobility, and our presence here in Fortaleza is highly symbolic. Thanks to the commitment and innovation of all our partners, especially Qair in harnessing wind and solar energy, the conditions are optimal for generating low-cost green electrons. This enables the production of hydrogen at a competitive price, challenging the dominance of fossil fuels. Together, we are taking a crucial step in our quest for a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy future."
Qair, an independent renewable energy company and official partner of Energy Observer, is hosting this stopover with the support of the Government of the State of Ceará, the Fortaleza City Hall, and the Ceará-based company CSI. Other long-standing Energy Observer partners are also involved, including the Accor group, Air Liquide, and Toyota, which will set up an exhibition including hybrid, electric and hydrogen vehicles.
“We are very proud of being one of Energy Observer partners and very supportive with the other partners of this human, technological and maritime innovative odyssey. As a renewable energy company, Qair is committed to deliver innovative clean energy solutions, and preserve the environment in which we operate. Energy Observer thus offers us an access to a live laboratory for the energy transition, testing technologies that are and will be deployed on larger scales, in particular in Brazil, thanks to the expertise and commitment of Qair Brasil", Louis Blanchard CEO of Qair.
Qair Experience exhibition will take place alongside the Qair Bus and the laboratory vessel, with immersive content on Energy Observer's Odyssey, the energy transition and the study of marine environments. It will be powered by two EODev's electro-hydrogen generators and low-carbon hydrogen supplied by Air Liquide.
Institutions such as the French Embassy in Brazil, the French Consulate in Recife, and numerous schools and universities will gather around the vessel's arrival with about 500 students expected.
H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Lenain, French Ambassador to Brazil, underlines the significance of the event in the context of Franco-Brazilian friendship and their shared ambition for the environment:
« As a true laboratory for ecological transition, Energy Observer demonstrates the full extent of French know-how in clean, innovative technologies. Like Energy Observer, the French Embassy in Brazil contributes to raising awareness of environmental protection through several programs such as FranceEcoLab and LabJovens.
There is also long-standing cooperation between Brazilian and French research institutes, such as Ifremer and IRD, leading to regular exchanges and joint work between researchers. At a time when Brazil will be hosting COP30 in 2025, and France will be hosting the next United Nations Conference on the Oceans, our two countries are asserting their ambitions in favor of environmental protection. This issue is central to the renewed cooperation between France and Brazil."
The laboratory vessel of the energy transition continues her Odyssey with a stopover
in Fortaleza, Brazil, from November 16 to 24. This Latin American stopover, the 83rd
of her round-the-world Odyssey, concludes the vessel's second transatlantic crossing.
This period will be rhythmed by the active involvement of Energy Observer's partners
and the production of original film sequences dedicated to the energy transition in
Brazil.
With a population of almost 215 million, Brazil is the world's ninth-largest energy
consumer. Nearly half of its primary energy demand is met by renewable energies,
notably hydroelectric, bioenergy, wind, and solar power, which make up around 80%
of its electricity mix, making its energy sector one of the most diversified and least carbon-intensive on the planet.
As a world leader in biofuels, Brazil is focusing on the large-scale development of second-generation fuels essential for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) production. The Northeast region, rich in wind resources and home to 80% of the country's wind farms, sees the state of Ceará, particularly Fortaleza, as a prime site for wind power.
Invited by Qair, official partner of the Odyssey, with the support of its partners such as the Accor Group, Air Liquide, and Toyota, as well as the active collaboration of the French Embassy in Brazil and the French Consulate in Recife, this Brazilian stopover will provide an ideal setting for a wide range of interactions focusing on national energy issues, enriched by an unprecedented audiovisual production.
For its seventh and final stopover in Africa, Energy Observer dropped her anchor in Namibia, one of the world's countries with the
highest photovoltaic potential. The laboratory vessel stopped in a country that aims to become one of the world's leading exporters of
green hydrogen by 2030, even though it currently imports almost 60% of its electricity consumption and is utterly committed to the
energy transition.
With an average of 300 days of sunshine a year and long days lasting between 11 and 14 hours, depending on the season, Namibia is
just behind Chile, which holds the world record for sunshine. That's over 3,000 hours of sunlight a year, in one of the continent's most
politically stable countries. Namibia's cool temperatures are also a main factor in improving the efficiency of the photovoltaic panels, a
phenomenon that the Energy Observer crew witnesses every day on the vessel's deck. That is thanks to the cold Benguela marine
current that runs along the west coast of southern Africa.
With its remarkable renewable energy and mining resources, massive investment in seawater desalination, and massive green
hydrogen production projects, Energy Observer had to uncover and document the challenges facing this extraordinary country. For this
81st stopover, the laboratory vessel is docked at the Walvis Bay Yacht Club, the country's only deep-water commercial port and future
low-carbon fuel terminal, ideally located on the South Atlantic shipping routes.
Agathe Roullin, onboard reporter, and Victorien Erussard visited and filmed an impressive seawater desalination plant installed by French company Orano.
One of Namibia's main problems is the lack of water, with rainfall barely exceeding twenty millimeters a year in the west of the country (sixty times less than in Brest) and freshwater resources under enormous pressure from the mining industry.
As a reminder, Namibia's subsoil is exceptionally rich, with uranium in particular (Namibia is the world's 3rd largest producer) in the Erongo region (Walvis Bay). This mining resource accounts for around 10% of the country's GDP and more than 60% of export earnings over the 2017-2019 period.
To remedy this shortage of fresh water and meet its needs, the French company Orano (formerly Areva) has installed the largest reverse
osmosis seawater desalination complex in Southern Africa.
“The plant currently produces 12 to 13 million cubic meters of fresh water per year (1,800 m3 per hour), 90% for the mining industry
and 10% for the local population," explains Agathe Roullin, onboard reporter who visited the site with Victorien Erussard. “As the
hydrogen economy matures, it's clear that demand will continue to grow considerably, necessitating the creation of new plants like
Erongo. The challenge will be to ensure that local populations benefit from it and that the impact on marine ecosystems is limited.”
Orano reserves the right to almost double its annual production to 25 million cubic meters of fresh water, "the equivalent of 10,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools", or even to invest further, increasing the site's output to 45 million cubic meters."
That is also where the Namibian paradox comes to the fore. The seawater pumps that power the Erongo site are electrically driven and are themselves, powered by electricity purchased from neighboring South Africa.
"Namibia relies on imports for 60% of its electricity consumption, via contracts with South Africa among others, most of whose production is generated by coal-fired power plants...".
In the short term, Orano wishes to decarbonize part of its business and has just embarked on the development of a solar power plant.
After 33 days of sailing and 2,300 nautical miles covered, the laboratory vessel rounded the mythical Cape of Good Hope before reaching her final destination in South Africa: Cape Town, a mythic port for sailors, the economic heart of the country and the scene of a major African stopover for the laboratory vessel.
This was a particularly difficult journey for the crew, with four sheltered stops between Mayotte and Cape Town due to harsh weather conditions, including strong winds and heavy seas. This 80th stopover will gather a host of institutional, industrial, and academic players committed to working with Energy Observer to make the energy transition a reality accessible to all.
The laboratory vessel is docked at Cape Town's V&A Waterfront from June 12th to 20th next to her pedagogical exhibition open to the public in order to raise public awareness of the energy and ecological transition's challenges.
For Kadri Nassiep, Executive Director of Energy at the City of Cape Town: “The City of Cape Town is a keen supporter of technology and solutions that promote a safer and more sustainable energy future. Energy Observer is a powerful platform to showcase the solutions that will hopefully power not just our seafaring vessels, but towns and cities in the future. Innovation and resilience are the cornerstones of our energy future”.
Industrial, institutional and academic players committed to green hydrogen and renewable energy development will be present during the laboratory vessel's stopover. Dr. Blade Nzimande, Minister of Education, Science, and Technology, will also be present during the inauguration.
“The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) welcomes efforts by Air Liquide and the Energy Observer initiative that aims to highlight the need to transition to a carbon free environment. As part of a national drive to create a clean, affordable and sustainable energy future for South Africa, the South African government through my Department has developed the Hydrogen Society Roadmap (HSRM) in 2021. Not only will green hydrogen valleys ensure the move away from fossil fuels, but it would create jobs, attract investment, bring development to rural provinces and support. Through the HSRM, the Department is also ensuring that hydrogen can be utilized as lever for social justice in the context of South Africa’s transition to cleaner energy sources.”
Education will be honored for National Youth Day on June 16, when Mr. Buti Manamela, Deputy Minister for Higher Education, Science, and Innovation, will take part in the opening of the "Youth in Innovation" exhibition organized by Sasol, event partner of Energy Observer in Cape Town.
“We are proud to support Energy Observer in its mission to promote renewable energy deployment. This partnership aligns with our commitment to sustainability and reflects our belief in the power of technology and partnerships to address climate change. By working together, we can drive positive change and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future.” Dr Thembakazi Mali, Sasol Senior Vice President for Research and Technology at Sasol.
Finally, a round table on the state of research and green hydrogen in the Southern African context will be organized on June 17 by Energy Observer and the University of Cape Town's Energy Systems Research Group.
Practical information
Launched in 1983, the legendary catamaran celebrates this year her 40 years of longevity with multiple records. From the fastest racing catamaran in the world in 1994 to the first autonomous energy vessel since 2017, discover the incredible story of this vessel that has become an ambassador of positive solutions for the planet.
With the 40th anniversary of the vessel, the teams wish to celebrate all the technological partners who have participated in this feat of longevity by constantly pushing the limits of durability and reliability! It's been over three years since Energy Observer is far from her bases, another record for these innovative technologies, which prefigure the energy systems essential to the energy transition!
Energy Observer continues the 6th year of its round-the-world Odyssey to discover the energy challenges of the African continent.
After crisscrossing South East Asia in 2022, from Indonesia to India through Singapore, Energy Observer is about to cross the Indian Ocean, then the Atlantic Ocean to head towards South America. Dotted with isolated island states, the Indian Ocean witnesses global warming and is highly exposed to energy issues. At the end of this crossing, the vessel will stop in South Africa, the continent's economic powerhouse with a historical dependence on coal. Then to Brazil, where many alternative energy projects are developing.
2023 will therefore be more than ever focused on observing and deciphering the energy issues of our time in a rapidly changing
southern hemisphere.
Energy Observer's exhibition village opens its doors in the station of Avoriaz: a pioneer of ecology in the high mountains, for a large-scale awareness event: "On top of positive energies."
Actors from the region, the hydrogen industry, and the general public will gather around this exhibition of general interest to raise awareness of the challenges that face the energy transition and sustainable development.
This exhibition aims to highlight local initiatives for energy sobriety and to expose low-carbon solutions that bring a concrete and positive response to the imperative of the energy transition. An overall demonstration of what Energy Observer can bring together beyond the maritime world.
Practical information:
Open to the general public from February 4 to 24
Opening hours: from 10 am to 6 pm
Guided tours, led by a member of the Energy Observer team, are organised on the following dates:
Places for the guided tours are limited to 25 people, so please arrive at the exhibition entrance 5 minutes before the start time.
Energy Observer Foundation's exhibition village will, for the first time, be displayed in a unique environment: the commune of Morzine-Avoriaz, located at 1,800 meters of altitude in Haute-Savoie, for the event "Au sommet des énergies positives" (On top of positive energies) dedicated to the energy transition challenges in high mountains.
While our laboratory vessel is in the Indian Ocean for a several-week technical stopover, it is in a completely different setting that the pedagogical exhibition village will open its doors to the public from February 4 to 24 in the Avoriaz station, under the aegis of the Energy Observer endowment fund and in partnership with the municipality of Morzine-Avoriaz, the event's host partner.
In a context of crucial decarbonization and climate crisis, especially for the high mountains' most fragile ecosystems, the goal is to mobilize a large community of actors from the region and the hydrogen industry around concrete solutions for the energy transition while raising awareness of the preservation of this exceptional environment.
This event will highlight low-carbon energy mixes, mobility, and direct zero-emission engines, and good practices in terms of energy sobriety.
Energy Observer has dropped anchor in Kochi for the 75th stopover of its round-the-world Odyssey, after a tour of South-East Asia which took the laboratory vessel to Singapore together with her exhibition village, then Vietnam, Thailand and finally to Malaysia.
The first vessel powered by renewable energy and hydrogen, the first French ambassador for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, arrived on November 14th in Kochi, Kerala, after 17 days of sailing and 1,645 nautical miles travelled from Langkawi, Malaysia.
On the occasion of the vessel's stopover, the Energy Management Center (EMC), the state designated agency to enforce energy conservation act in Kerala, is organizing a special event: "Green hydrogen pathways to sustainable future". This forum will bring together many Indian institutions around the challenges of green hydrogen development.
Industrialists, academics, governmental agencies, and a large panel of actors involved in the energy transition will gather for Energy Observer's arrival during a 3-day workshop dedicated to the hydrogen value chain: production, transport, storage, maritime and land applications. Key challenges that are perfectly in line with Energy Observer's missions.
Energy Observer concludes its tour in South-East Asia in Malaysia, 74th stopover of its Odyssey around the world. After Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore, which allowed many partners and officials to visit the ship and its educational exhibition village, the laboratory vessel, symbol of the energy transition, is in Langkawi for an eventful stopover from October 11 to 18.
Langkawi Island is the culmination of the Energy Observer's tour in South East Asia, which will then head to India and the Kerala region for its last stopover in 2022.
Many actors are mobilized around the arrival of the laboratory ship, partners of the Odyssey and local and institutional player.
"The French Embassy is proud to be associated with the stopover of Energy Observer in Malaysia. A press visit, a privileged exchange with the students of the French high school of Kuala Lumpur and the organization of a scientific field visit for the crew members will fully participate in the valorization of the event, in the bilateral exchanges on the energy transition, and in the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals." Virginie Bioteau, chargée d‘affaires at the French Embassy in Malaysia.
The NGO Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), a scientific and educational partner of Energy Observer Foundation, has been collaborating with the crew through its Malaysian hub and the Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), which offers a number of programmes dedicated to marine biodiversity and the oceans. SOA is a global community of young people, entrepreneurs, and experts in their field, collaborating to solve the greatest challenges facing our oceans.
Energy Observer’s stopover in Malaysia is thus an opportunity to explore the solutions that will enable the rise of a more sustainable maritime transport, to welcome on board pupils and students from local schools and to support the various players in their efforts towards an ecological transition to preserve our ecosystems on land and at sea.
The Energy Observer exhibition village will form part of the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe race village from 25 October to 6 November 2022.
This exhibition will open its doors from 17 September in Saint Malo, every weekend for the general public and weekdays for students from the region’s schools.
This travelling exhibition and the panoramic Grande roue Ferris wheel will be powered using EODev’s (Energy Observer Developments) GEH2® electro-hydrogen generator during the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, in order to provide a practical demonstration of direct zero-emission energy solutions and showcase their potential in event applications.
Energy Observer is injecting its positive energy into the French stage of the SailGP racing, which gathers together the world’s best sailors. See you in Saint Tropez from 7 to 11 September for an event that aims at zero direct emissions.
SailGP France’s Race for the Future partner, Energy Observer Foundation is tasked with accelerating energy transition and raising awareness amongst all the event’s protagonists about the potential of renewable energies and their hydrogen storage.
Broadcast in almost 150 territories worldwide, the SailGP races (11 for this third season) offer an exceptional international showcase for the pedagogical actions of Energy Observer Foundation in the preservation of the oceans, and for the concrete solutions that will allow the championship to reach its clean energy objectives.
After rolling out its hydrogen solutions at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, followed by the French Formula 1 Grand Prix in Le Castellet, Energy Observer Developments (EODev) will now provide two electro-hydrogen generators GEH2® in Saint Tropez to supply the event’s entire technical base. The regatta is a very big apart of the DNA of Energy Observer, whose laboratory vessel is the former race boat that belonged to Sir Peter Blake, winner of the America’s Cup, and the majority of her creators have a racing background (French and World F18 champions, multihull skippers and managers, America’s Cup). EODev also brings its expertise to several large multihull racing projects and presented in Cannes this week a chase boat capable of reaching 50 knots, developed with Blue Game and the challenger American Magic, for the 37th America's Cup.
Energy Observer continues its journey in South East Asia, with the 73rd stopover of its round the world Odyssey being in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Vietnam is one of the last stopovers of the Energy Observer Odyssey in the region, after a large-scale event in Singapore which gathered the vessel and its pedagogical exhibition village, followed by a several-week stopover in Thailand to document the country’s energy and ecological transition’s challenges.
This stopover will be, as the previous ones, the occasion to receive on board all the actors involved in these stakes, including the partners of the project. Groupe BPCE is celebrating its 30 years of presence in Vietnam, Qair is developing innovative solar and wind projects, Air Liquide is planning to double its investments and Accor as well as CMA CGM and Toyota are very active in the country. The Energy Observer crew will be able to present the ship's autonomous zero-emission system to several hundred visitors and decision-makers, and as always to many students and school children in collaboration with the French Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City.
Like many countries, Vietnam faces a complex equation: how to reconcile rapid growth, with an energy demand that has been multiplied by 5,5 in the last 20 years, and the need to decarbonize, while allowing renewable energies to flourish?
In February 2021, the Vietnamese government has released a draft of the country’s national power development plan for 2021 to 2030. The plan expands current wind and solar capacity and prioritizes enhancing grid infrastructure to ensure stable operation with a higher share of renewables.
Energy Observer continues to sail across the oceans in south-east Asia, the 71st stopover of its round the world Odyssey being in Thailand.
Following an ambitious stopover in Singapore, which gathered major players in the maritime transport and energy industries around the vessel and its pedagogical exhibition village, our floating laboratory left the city-state to set course for Thailand, with Pattaya as its designated entry port.
Thailand’s energy policy consists of reducing its dependence on natural gas to bolster its energy independence. The country has a long and rich history, attaining universal access to electricity several decades ago, with its energy consumption per inhabitant doubling over the past 20 years. Today, Thailand aspires to become the ‘Silicon Valley of Asia’, by completely transforming its electricity sector and investing heavily in renewable energies.
Similarly, Bangkok is eager to become ‘Asia’s electric transport capital’, with 1-million electric vehicles planned by 2025, increasing to 15 million by 2035. Electric ferries already transport passengers across the Chao Phraya River, which flows through the capital. From wind farms to hybrid solar/hydropower plants, solar farms, photovoltaic rooftops, and biomass power plants, all the different options and possibilities have been implemented to reduce the need to import fossil fuels. It’s a crucial decade for Thailand and its economic development and Energy Observer is keen to document it during its round the world Odyssey.
Energy Observer’s production team will be on hand to document the different solutions designed to support the country’s energy transition. Our team will further assess the challenges linked to preserving the country's biodiversity in the face of mass tourism and overfishing.
Such challenges fully resonate with Energy Observer’s role as the first French ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals.
The first vessel powered by renewable energy and hydrogen, the first French ambassador of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, arrived in Singapore on March 10th for the 70th stopover on its round-the-world Odyssey.
After having sailed for 17 days from Lombok in Indonesia and covered 1577 nautical miles, the laboratory vessel has docked at the ONE°15 Marina in Sentosa Cove for a stopover starting March 10th to 20th, 2022. The vessel is accompanied by its pedagogical exhibition village, which aims to raise awareness of the energy and ecological transition among all audiences.
A unique opportunity to mobilize the key players in maritime transport and energy in the city-state: the world's leading bunkering port, a crossroads for international trade.
After having developed an autonomous laboratory vessel with the first complete hydrogen chain, capable of producing its own hydrogen with its surplus of renewable energies, Energy Observer is taking a new step by launching the design of the most representative ship of the maritime transport industry: a multipurpose cargo ship fuelled by liquid hydrogen, a technology that allows zero-emission navigation, while offering very high transport capacities and great autonomy.
Victorien Erussard, President and founder of Energy Observer, will present the ship on February 10th during the One Ocean Summit in Brest.
Maritime transport accounts for 3% of CO2 emissions annually on a global scale. The ambition of Energy Observer and its partners is to present prototype solutions leaning towards zero-emission for the transport of goods.The technologies are now mature, with liquid hydrogen storage well mastered, the deployment of liquefiers around the world, and the latest generations of mass-produced fuel cells.
Energy Observer is now tackling the latest technological challenges, such as the integration of large tanks or the management of cryogenic temperatures, thanks to the unfailing support of its historical and technological partners.
At the forefront, Air Liquide, the world leader in hydrogen for over 50 years for industry and space. Air Liquide masters the production, storage, distribution, and safety of liquid hydrogen and thus brings its technological expertise and its capacity for innovation.
Energy Observer and its Strategic Partner, the CMA CGM Group, analyze together the commercial and operational parameters of this new generation of cargo-ship. The CMA CGM Group, a world leader in maritime transport and logistics, and Energy Observer thus confirm their pioneering commitment to the energy transition of maritime transport.
EODev, the industrial subsidiary of Energy Observer that designed the first certified hydrogen boat, and develops accessible and marinized systems, is an expert in fuel cells' integration in demanding environments.
LMG Marin, the naval architecture firm that pioneered decarbonated propulsion and developed the world's first liquid hydrogen ferry, Hydra, is the design office in charge of this innovative project.
Another important partner is Bureau Veritas, a key player in the evolution of maritime regulations and innovations, which has accompanied Energy Observer since the launch of its first hydrogen-powered vessel.
Finally, the French Maritime Cluster and the T2EM Institute is working with academic, scientific, and industrial partners to create the Institute for the Eco-Energy Transition of the Maritime Sector (T2EM), whose objective is to steer and implement the national structuring program "Zero Emission Ship & Port" to achieve the goals of decarbonation, emissions reduction and respect for the biodiversity of the sector. Energy Observer 2 is the Institute's "flagship," the first full-scale demonstrator to power the entire industry.
You can find the teasing video about Energy Observer 2 following this link.
Energy Observer strengthens its partners' ecosystem for the next 3 years of its Odyssey around the world, with the arrival of GUYOT environnement and Qair.
Energy Observer is a multi-partner project that gathers companies involved in all sectors of the eco-energy transition. Among the Odyssey's new supporters: Qair, an independent producer of renewable energy, and GUYOT environnement, a regional leader in waste recovery in Brittany.
That is the strength of this technological, innovative, and human project: cooperating with players who act on all the vectors of the ecological and energy transition, with a wide range of skills, which include hydrogen, green financing, climate risk insurance, hospitality, training for the professions of tomorrow, sustainable mobility, software intelligence, the circular economy, renewable energies, etc.
After the reinforcement of the partnership with Air Liquide, the arrival of the BPCE Group, then of Triangle intérim, the project federates new actors with GUYOT environnement and Qair, respectively partners and official patrons.
These partners will support the continuance of the Odyssey until 2024 and will partake in the awareness and acculturation actions around new energies led by the Energy Observer Foundation.
Energy Observer is a flagship of future smart-grids, developing an optimized energy mix that mobilizes solar, wind, and hydro-generation. In each of these fields, the laboratory vessel undertakes, develops, optimizes, and assembles the world's most efficient features. It then stores its energy production in batteries, but most importantly, in a complete renewable hydrogen system produced from the electrolysis of seawater.
Qair is an independent renewable energy producer with 1GW of assets in operation and under construction. The company develops onshore and offshore wind, solar, hydroelectric, and green hydrogen projects on its account in Europe, Brazil, Africa, and Asia.
Thus, the partnership with Qair, an agile, international, and versatile actor, particularly resonates with the concerns of Energy Observer. Qair will fetch its international and multi-local vision of specific territories with varied resources to the project, but also its expertise in the development of responsible energy production ecosystems.
By deploying installations mixing several sources of renewable energy, Qair deploys on a large scale the innovations that Energy Observer experiments at sea.
Challenges of the marine environment are at the heart of the concerns of Qair, a pioneer in floating wind power, winner in 2022 in Scotland of 2GW of offshore wind power, a candidate in the tender for offshore wind power in Southern Brittany, and developer of a tidal turbine pilot project in Raz Blanchard.
This partnership is thus in line with the actions of studying and preserving the marine environment carried out by the Qair group, which is why the enterprise decided to support this initiative aimed at decarbonization and preservation of the oceans.
As a refitted racing catamaran, launched in 1983 and recycled in 2016, Energy Observer could not have dreamed of anything better than to be associated with an innovative player in the circular economy, committed to the energy transition! For more than thirty years, GUYOT environnement has placed the environment at the heart of its strategy by doing everything possible to provide alternative solutions to the use of fossil fuels.
It transforms non-recyclable waste into fuel, to provide alternative solutions to the use of fossil fuels. Tomorrow, they will produce energy to be autonomous. Energy autonomy is a key goal of Energy Observer: to consume only what we can produce, to reach maximum efficiency, and thus to gain our energetic independence.
As the regional and independent leader in the recovery of waste and materials, the Brittany company is more than ever asserting its leading role as a developer of resources. With 16 sites in Brittany and Spain, 400 employees with expertise in the environmental sector, 800,000 tons of waste recovered in 2021, and a turnover of 260 million euros, GUYOT environnement is a key partner for Brittany, and its local actors, to meet the major environmental challenges of tomorrow.
Last but not least, GUYOT environnement wants to decarbonize the transport of its recycled materials, especially from the Port of Brest, where the One Ocean Summit will take place next week. An opportunity for Energy Observer to present a zero-emission cargo ship with breakthrough technologies.
Exploring positive energies in France and around the world, Energy Observer is delighted to welcome onboard a partnership that enriches the skills of its partners, but also its values and actions in favor of the transition.
Energy Observer to present a new zero-emission cargo ship concept at the One Ocean Summit.
After 48,000 nautical miles sailed by the laboratory catamaran around the globe, with over sixty stopovers and demonstrations in more than 30 countries, crossings of the Mediterranean, the Baltic, the Atlantic, and the Pacific;
After achieving a series of world firsts, such as the boarding of a complete hydrogen production chain based on seawater electrolysis, the integration of a marinized fuel cell of great diffusion, the certification of the first mass-produced boat powered by hydrogen, the development of OceanWings®, the reaching of Spitsbergen without fossil fuels and the illumination of the Eiffel Tower with renewable hydrogen;
After having raised awareness by welcoming thousands of schoolchildren and students, the public, industrial actors, as well as the Secretary-General and experts of the International Maritime Organization, Irena, the European Commission, members of the European, French, and Californian governments;
After having developed with EODev and Toyota Motor Europe accessible energy solutions using hydrogen, distributed worldwide for outdoor and maritime applications, bringing clean energy to the most important events, as well as to the most isolated sites;
Energy Observer, with its unique experiences, expertise, and the support of its partners, aware of the climate emergency that led the IMO to set ambitious goals, launches the development of a multipurpose cargo ship, likely the most common ship in the world's commercial fleet, to optimize transport decarbonization.
Combining disruptive technologies, made reliable but never before assembled on a ship with such high power: the process is the same as for the first Energy Observer vessel. This new demonstrator ship, designed with leading industrial players in the energy and transport sectors, aims to accelerate concretely and radically the essential energy transition in maritime transport.
Speaking at the One Ocean Summit during the "Zero Emission Ships" forum on February 10th, Victorien Erussard will present the features, performances, and technological options chosen for this new zero-emission laboratory ship: Energy Observer 2.
Triangle Interim Solutions RH is joining Energy Observer adventure, the first autonomous and zero-emission hydrogen vessel. With this daring and meaningful bet, the company specialised in human resources is actively participating in the energy transition, which imposes new challenges in terms of training and recruitment.
Energy Observer is delighted to count Triangle Interim Solutions RH among its official partners.
As an ambassador for hydrogen and the Sustainable Development Goals, we have identified that one of the obstacles to the development of new energies and the hydrogen society is the availability of specialised human resources trained in these technologies.
Accompanying companies in the shift to energy transition, with agility and speed, is therefore a priority objective. As a recruitment company committed to employment and on the front line of short-term industrial needs, Triangle Interim Solutions RH has a key role to play. By recruiting and training temporary specialists to meet today's and tomorrow's needs, it is becoming a forerunner in this particularly tense sector.
The hydrogen sector, in particular, is booming and many professions such as maintenance technicians, pipe fitters, high-pressure specialists or electricians and automation specialists are already in high demand and lacking in available skills today, throughout Europe.
As Groupe BPCE has made the fight against climate change a core feature of its strategic plan for 2024, the partnership with Energy Observer is perfectly consistent with its ambition to be a major player in driving the energy transition.
Energy Observer is a laboratory for ecological transition designed to push back the limits of zero-emission technologies. Hydrogen, solar, wind and waterpower, all the solutions are experimented with, tested and optimized here with a view to making clean energies a practical reality that is accessible to all.
Above and beyond supporting the Energy Observer initiative as a whole, this partnership will also make it possible to launch appropriate financing tools, thereby giving a boost to the development of hydrogen technology, which is necessary for industrial decarbonization and the development of renewable energies.
In this respect, it aligns perfectly with Groupe BPCE’s goal of helping its customers meet their own transition challenges.
From September onwards, Energy Observer will be at the very heart of the challenges facing the maritime sector by participating in a host of events in the South of France: the UICN's World Conservation Congress in Marseille, the Cannes Yachting Festival, the French leg of the Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez, an international sailing championship targeting a climate-positive impact and finally Les Assises de l'Économie de la Mer (Forum of the Economy of the Sea), which is hosted this year by the City of Nice.
With a view to championing this mission, Katia Nicolet, scientific advisor for Energy Observer, and Louis-Noël Viviès, managing director will be invited by the CMA CGM group, Energy Observer's strategic partner, to speak at the UICN's World Conservation Congress in Marseille on 7 September. Similarly, Chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saadé will take advantage the Assises de l'Économie de la Mer platform to confirm the global leader of maritime transport's desire to construct a multidisciplinary consortium for tomorrow's energies. It is a sure sign that the maritime sector must play a major role alongside other protagonists involved with heavy-duty vehicles in rolling out projects that are in line with the Paris Accords, at a time when the latest report from the IPCC is encouraging us to really step things up a gear to make a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The Energy Observer team will be present in Marseille as well as Cannes thanks to the maritime solutions developed by its subsidiary EODev, with its first application being linked to the boat HYNOVA 40, equipped with REXH2®: a technology initially validated aboard the floating laboratory Energy Observer back in 2019 and now being deployed on a boat that is accessible to all.
It is a genuine revolution in the boating world. Indeed, the HYNOVA 40 is the world’s first production model open boat approved for use as an electro-hydrogen pleasure craft using hydrogen stored aboard to propel it along silently with zero CO2, NOx or SOx emissions and no unburnt hydrocarbon.
Since leaving its home port of Saint-Malo in 2017, Energy Observer undertook a 7-years round-the-world Odyssey that will continue until 2024. The ship already sailed over 40 000 nautical miles, made 68 stopovers -15 of which with its educational exhibition- and visited 30 countries.
Energy Observer, the first hydrogen ship to sail around the world, left Hawaii on the 20th of June and proved once again that energy autonomy is essential: 3,366 nautical miles (average speed: 5,6 knts) to cross the Pacific Ocean and reach New Caledonia. The journey took 25 days, relying only on the energy the ship can create, the hydrogen she stores and the wind in her sails.
Despite its natural resources and abundance of renewable energy sources, New Caledonia was still 97% dependant on fossil fuels in 2019, with over 5 200 000 tons of CO2 emitted per year (source: Agence Calédonienne de l’Énergie). However, the government aims to reduce the collectivity’s CO2 emissions by 35% and double the renewable energy production by 2030. Energy Observer arrives in the archipelago to investigate the actions being undertaken to reach these green goals.
Air Liquide steps up its support to Energy Observer by becoming main partner for the next 4 years. Energy Observer – the first hydrogen vessel around the world – and Air Liquide – a pioneer in the international development of the hydrogen sector – have been working together since the launch of this laboratory ship which aims to demonstrate the key role of hydrogen in the energy transition.
This new stage in their collaboration, featuring a technological support component, is fully in line with the sustainable development objectives of the Air Liquide Group, including its commitments to renewable hydrogen in particular.
As the first ship autonomous in energy, and the first French ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals, Energy Observer explores concrete solutions and develops technologies to accelerate ecological transition. Since its launch in April 2017 in Saint Malo, and even before its departure for a zero-emission world tour, Air Liquide has been supporting this scientific and technological project by becoming an official supporter.
Energy Observer is now in a new phase of its development in which, via its subsidiary EODev (Energy Observer Developments), it provides the various maritime and port communities, but also on land applications with innovative, sustainable, reliable and accessible energy solutions, such as GEH₂® – the hydrogen power generator used during the event the "Paris de l’hydrogène" organized by Energy Observer. This zero-emission hydrogen power generator has made it possible to light up the Eiffel Tower for the very first time using certified renewable hydrogen, supplied by Air Liquide. A shared ambition and obvious synergies have naturally led Air Liquide to strengthen its commitment to the project for the next 4 years, as main partner.
The course of Energy Observer’s Odyssey is set to evolve in line with health guidelines in force in Asia in particular. In this way, the Tokyo stopover will now take place in December 2021 rather than during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with certain destinations in south-east Asia initially scheduled for 2022 being brought forward to this summer and autumn.
Energy Observer has taken the decision to postpone its stopover in Tokyo – originally programmed during the Olympic and Paralympic Games – until the end of this year. Indeed, given the difficult health context, which is prohibiting international visitors, limiting public audiences during the events and above all leading to the cancellation of numerous events and activities on the fringes of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the appeal of Energy Observer’s stopover in the city on the dates initially scheduled has been greatly compromised.
As such, it is with the wholehearted consent of its partners, the local Japanese and French institutions, that Energy Observer has chosen to push back its Tokyo stopover until this coming December.
Provisional calendar:
"Paris de l'hydrogène": a unique event at the very heart of the French capital, organised by Energy Observer, with the support of the City of Paris.
Within the context of an historic recovery plan, which is giving the hydrogen sector pride of place, the “Paris de l'hydrogene” event is championing various community-based objectives raising awareness about the need for sustainable energy transition and shining a spotlight on the whole of the hydrogen value chain.
In celebration, the Eiffel Tower is being illuminated using an electro hydrogen generator developed by EODev (Energy Observer Developments) with certified renewable hydrogen.
Made from recycled containers from the CMA-CGM group, this exhibition unveils a timeline designed with the support and expertise of Ademe, retracing the history of energy transition, ecological awareness and the Energy Observer laboratory. Both immersive and educational, its two geodesic domes house monumental screenings together with special screens enabling the showcasing of all the different technologies aboard the laboratory vessel, their applications both at sea and on land, as well as the pioneering solutions encountered around the world through the prism of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for which Energy Observer is the primary French ambassador.
The highlight of this demonstration of the potential of zero-emission energies is the illumination of the Eiffel Tower with hydrogen using EODev’s electro hydrogen GEH2® generator. The latter is powered with hydrogen certified renewable by Air Liquide. Highly symbolic and a major first, the structure is all lit up in a striking blue-green hue soundtracked by an original musical composition by Jean-Benoît Dunckel (Air).
The first vessel powered by renewable energies and hydrogen, the UN’s French Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals arrived in San Francisco, her 66th stopover on her round the world Odyssey, on 6 May.
Following a stopover at Long Beach from 23 to 28 April, during which the boat played host to a number of the city’s officials, including the Consul General of France, the local harbor authorities, as well as protagonists from the hydrogen and energy industries (California Fuel Cell Partnership, Engie, Air Liquide, Toyota, CMA CGM…), pioneering ecological transition companies like Sole Technology (ETNIES, Emercia, éS and Thirty Two brands), together with students from local schools and universities, the vessel cast off from the new AltaSea campus at the entrance to the port of Long Beach.
After spending several days punching into some particularly difficult weather conditions in a bid to make headway northwards, the boat of the future slipped under the spectacular Golden Gate Bridge and finally entered San Francisco Bay, where the crew received a generous welcome from the Consul General of France in San Francisco and Lieutenant Governor of California, Eleni Kounalakis.
The first vessel powered by renewable energies and hydrogen, the UN’s French Ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals made landfall in Long Beach on 22 April, during the Earth Day and the Leaders Summit on Climate in the US. This stopover is the 65th on her round the world Odyssey.
The France SailGP Team is partnering with Energy Observer Foundation to work together to showcase French innovation and new thinking for a better planet. Energy Observer Foundation will be the teams Race for the Future partner helping the sports pinnacle league accelerate the transition to clean energy and work to explore practical clean energy solutions while raising awareness through the global platform about the challenges of ecological transition geared around clean energy. This is a central part of the global league’s ambitions purpose agenda to race for a better future and champion a world powered by nature.
The latest generation annual, global championship, SailGP is the first climate positive sports and entertainment property and uses its platform for good. New for Season 2, each of the eight national teams will collaborate with a Race for the Future partner to develop concrete actions for social and environmental impact.
The French team has opted to work alongside Energy Observer Foundation, which is an organisation that explores and develops solutions that prove that another future for energy is possible, an optimistic future, which is more respectful of the planet and the people who live here.
“Among the numerous projects and associations linked to the protection of the environment, the Energy Observer Foundation was most in sync with the objectives of “Race for the Future”, a factor reinforced by the obvious links with the sailing environment,” explains Thibault Laudren, Head of Operations for the France SailGP Team.
The first vessel powered with renewable energies and hydrogen, a French ambassador for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, will make landfall on the Californian coast on 22 April 2021, after a 1-month sea passage from the Galapagos Islands, a Unesco biosphere reserve. It will make a stopover in Long Beach and then San Francisco, before continuing on her journey to Hawaii.
It is a prime opportunity for the crew, headed by Victorien Erussard, to document the numerous initiatives fronted by the state of California, a leader in hi-tech systems, sustainable energies and innovations for ecological transition (hydrogen and electric mobility, smart grids, carbon capture and climate risk management...).
These stopovers will showcase this quite unique laboratory vessel and in so doing share its missions with the general public, local authorities (cities of Long Beach and San Francisco), French consulates, as well as cultural and scientific protagonists like the Exploratorium of San Francisco, the SOA (Sustainable Ocean Alliance) and Energy Independence Now.
Manufacturers in the hydrogen and sustainable energies sector like California Fuel Cell Partnership will rally together around these stopovers alongside the odyssey’s partners Accor, Toyota, CMA-CGM, Air Liquide and Engie.
The France Pavilion at the Dubai World Expo is delighted to host Energy Observer during the thematic fortnight dedicated to Oceans. Energy Observer, the first French ambassador for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, explores practical solutions and develops technology to accelerate the ecological transition. It is fully in line with the challenges of building tomorrow’s world, which the Pavilion will highlight.
The Dubai World Expo will be the premiere global gathering of 2021. Expo 2020 Dubai is the first world expo to be held in the MEASA (Middle East, Africa and South Asia), and is centred around the theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”. Expo 2020 Dubai, which will be held from 1st October 2021 to 31st March 2022, brings together over 200 diverse participants — countries, organisations, companies, and academic establishments — and is expected to receive some 25 million visitors.
Today, the ambitions of these expos have moved towards international cooperation and the search for solutions to the challenges humanity faces. Over six months, every country in the world will come together in order to discuss, propose and implement practical solutions for the benefit of all humankind. In light of the ongoing health crisis this theme is no longer a symbolic proposal, but rather an urgent and critical need.
Within a very uncertain global health context, Energy Observer has decided to forge ahead with its round the world Odyssey. Indeed, together with their partners, Victorien Erussard and his team are keen to continue delivering a message of optimism across the world. Among the highlights of the programme: the Galapagos Islands, California and then their first Transpacific passage, which is set to lead them to Tokyo for the Olympic Games.
And so begins the 5th season of a 7-year Odyssey for Energy Observer, the first vessel powered with renewable energies and hydrogen. Inevitably impacted by the global pandemic, their journey around the world requires the teams to adapt to the multiple local health guidelines. In this way, Energy Observer intends to open up new avenues whilst continuing its exploration of positive energies for a brighter future.
Discover the full journey of our 2021 Odyssey in this video.
Discover the replay of the Press Conference here.
Energy Observer left Guadeloupe and the Antilles arc in her wake on 23 November and is now continuing her journey around the Overseas Territories bound for French Guiana, the 61st stopover in her circumnavigation of the world. It’s a stopover, which will enable the crew to continue its Odyssey in a region boasting exceptional natural heritage and combining cutting-edge technologies and Amazonian primary forest, a European spaceport and a quite unique biodiversity reserve.
Guided by Victorien Erussard, founder of Energy Observer, the crew will visit a major scientific site: the Guiana space centre, managed by the CNES (the national centre for space studies), Energy Observer’s scientific and educational partner. Since 1964 and the decision to install a spaceport on this section of the coast between Kourou et Sinnamary, French Guiana has become an iconic site in the global mission to conquer space.
Today, space is being used to try to understand climate imbalance and monitor its evolution. In this way, European satellites of the Copernicus constellation are providing scientists the world over with the data required to model the climate and monitor the changing ecosystems and the chemical make-up of the atmosphere. From melting ice to monitoring of forest cover, the satellites observe, measure and inform us about the state of the planet.
EODev confirms its ambitions to quickly become a leading player in industrial developments linked to energy transition by acquiring a stake in EVE System, based in Lyon. A specialist in design and integration of on-board intelligence and battery systems for the past 20 years, EVE System will benefit from this long-term strategic and technological link-up to accelerate its development.
This acquisition thus seals the first collaborations between the two companies on EODev's flagship products, the GEH2® electro-hydrogen power generator and the REXH2® range extender intended for the maritime sector. It allows EODev to strengthen the extent of its industrial partners and accelerate the deployment of its carbon-free solutions, in a context boosted by the European "Green Deal".
EODev and Eneria have just signed an agreement for the distribution and maintenance of the GEH2® hydrogen power-generators and the REXH2® range extenders developed by EODev. After the industrialization contract for the GEH2® signed early September, this new agreement confirms the excellence of EODev's project and the performance of the GEH2® which has been in operation on the industrial site of Eneria in Montlhéry for the past six weeks.
After the signature of an industrial partnership agreement, after the presentation of EODev's GEH2®, the first hydrogen power-generator on the industrial site of Eneria in Montlhéry mid-September, and after the announcement of the Monnoyeur Group becoming an official shareholder of EODev, the two companies are now pleased to confirm the provisions agreed on in the initial contract, i.e. the possibility for Eneria's teams to distribute EODev's GEH2®s in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, and Algeria. Furthermore, Eneria will also be able to distribute EODev's range extender REXH2®.
In addition to the fact that the GEH2®s and REXH2®s will now be jointly marketed by EODev and Eneria, and thus available in Eneria's product catalog in the countries where the company is present, this agreement also includes exclusive maintenance of the GEH2®s and REXH2®s by Eneria in collaboration with EODev's engineers, who will also provide training for both Eneria's teams and end users.
HYNOVA Yachts and EODev unveiled on Wednesday September 23rd, 2020, the RangeExtender H2 (REXH2®) solution selected by HYNOVA for the energy supply of its future HYNOVA 40, whose The New Era prototype was introduced to the public at the Yacht Club de Monaco during the Monaco Capital of Yachting Experience event. This presentation came after the conference held on Tuesday, September 22nd, on hydrogen as an alternative to diesel for low-carbon maritime mobility.
Developed from the latest generation Toyota fuel cells, the REXH2® designed by EODev is part of the industrialization of accessible hydrogen solutions for zero emissions maritime and river mobility. Thanks to hydrogen-electric hybridization combining the use of hydrogen as fuel and Alternatives Energies batteries, the system is used for both the propulsion of the boat and the operation of onboard systems.
The moment when the first electro-hydrogen "dayboat" in the world was revealed on the terrace of the 3rd deck of the Yacht Club de Monaco was quite emotional. Especially for Chloé Zaied, Managing Director of HYNOVA Yachts, but also for the EODev team, finally able to present to the public the results of the work of its engineers, after the cancellations of the Cannes and Monaco yacht shows. An event all the more significant as HSH the Sovereign Prince Albert II also wished to support with his presence the display of this innovative boat, which marks a turning point in the pursuit of low-carbon maritime mobility and sustainable yachting, challenges that are particularly close to his heart.
Monaco, September 22, 2020 - As part of the Planetary Health Week organized by the Prince Albert II Foundation, and under the aegis of the "Monaco Capital of Yachting Experience" initiated by the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) which takes place from September 20 to 24, Jeremie Lagarrigue, CEO of EODev, offered the 200 participants on site, as well as the hundreds of online attendees, a presentation of the opportunities of hydrogen for pleasure craft.
In the presence of HSH the Sovereign Prince Albert II, President of the YCM, five speakers presented the different opportunities of hydrogen solutions to provide yacht owners with an alternative to the use of diesel, for propulsion and / or to provide the energy necessary for hotel load, without emissions and noise.
Jérémie Lagarrigue began the conference with a few explanations on the current environmental situation, the level of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, in order to understand the importance and the emergency of the energy transition. After explaining how a fuel cell works and unveiling its installation on board Energy Observer in collaboration with Toyota, he highlighted the advantages of hydrogen over diesel but also in comparison to "all electric" systems that use only batteries. He also explained how hydrogen is a vector which makes it possible to store and transport energy, then turned into electricity, and how hydrogen is part of a strategy of ENR combinations that depend on user profiles.
For the maritime sector, Jérémie Lagarrigue demonstrated the potential and the technological, environmental and economic validity of hydrogen solutions, taking among others the example of the first electro-hydrogen tender presented by HYNOVA, a unique 12-meter boat whose propulsion was designed by EODev, and whose prototype was exhibited on the YCM terrace.
Energy transition in the yachting sector therefore offers various options, including diesel-hydrogen-electric hybrid solutions.
Ending up his presentation, Jérémie explained the issues related to the storage and delivery of hydrogen, insisting on the need to develop infrastructure and set up refuelling stations without being limited by administrative delays. It is to meet these short-term challenges that EODev created STSH2 (Station SHip H2), a floating hydrogen production and distribution platform.
The conference can watched following this link.
Following the announcement of a €20 million fund raising two weeks ago, EODev presented, in the presence of its shareholders, its land-based hydrogen power generator and maritime range extender in operation on the industrial site of its partner and manufacturer ENERIA, on Thursday, September 17. The products developed by the French start-up, which already has around 40 employees, meet the objectives of the "France Hydrogen plan” unveiled by the government last week.
EODev's goal is to accelerate the ecological transition through clean, accessible, and sustainable energy solutions developed, manufactured, and implemented in France at first, but with the aim of also deploying them internationally in the future. For Jérémie Lagarrigue, its CEO, the use of hydrogen as an energy vector and energy storage solution, coupled with other renewables, is the key element of a realistic and efficient energy transition. The solution is therefore based on a multifaceted approach, combining and optimizing energy mixes according to the specific needs of end users and the renewables available locally. Whether they are industrialists, service companies, or ultimately private individuals, consumers must be able to get customized solutions, both environmentally and economically relevant.
EODev (Energy Observer Developments) announces the closing of a first round of funding to accelerate the industrialization and commercialization of its solutions developed around the latest hydrogen technologies.
Today, EODev announces the closing of its first round of funding, for a total amount of €20 million, thus positioning itself as one of the innovative players in the French hydrogen industry, whose growth is now a government priority.
This funding will accelerate the industrialization and commercialization of sustainable, reliable, innovative, and accessible energy solutions. EODev's products address the entire energy chain: medium-power hydrogen power generators (GEH2®); on-board hydrogen energy systems (REXH2®) for maritime and river use (propulsion and hotel load), and mobile floating hydrogen refueling stations (STSH2) for the production and distribution of green hydrogen.
EODev (Energy Observer Developments) and the Monnoyeur Group, through its subsidiary Eneria, have signed a partnership agreement for the industrialization by Eneria of the hydrogen power generator GEH2 developed by EODev. To discover EODev's GEH2 in operation, visit Eneria's site in Montlhéry (91310) between September 15 and 18, 2020.
Specialized in the design, installation, and maintenance of turnkey power generation solutions, Eneria will bring to EODev its expertise and know-how in the field of solution packaging.
The industrial partnership between EODev and Eneria will accelerate the industrialization, deployment, and after-sales service management of the GEH2 generators.
For Eneria, this development is part of a broader ambition: providing real solutions to both energy and environmental challenges, commensurate with the issues reminded by the government in the context of the green recovery plan.
In this new season (4 x 52 minutes), Energy Observer sails through Northern Europe to discover a world resolutely committed to the energy and ecological transition.
From London to Amsterdam, from Hamburg to Stockholm, from Copenhagen to St. Petersburg, to the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic, the crew is setting out to discover all the solutions that are working to safeguard life: from the agriculture of the future to clean energy, from the circular economy to mobility... Positive and concrete innovations that are already working and prove that another future is possible.
Energy Observer Developments (EODev) will present at the next Cannes Yachting Festival from September 8 to 13, 2020 its REXH2 (Range Extender Hydrogen) solution, integrated for the first time in a vessel other than Energy Observer: a 40-foot open boat developed with HYNOVA Yachts, the first production electro-hydrogen tender to be launched on the market.
The REXH2 is a modular solution developed around Toyota's latest generation fuel cell, making silent maritime and river mobility without emissions of CO2 and fine particles possible. EODev's tailor-made application ensures the propulsion and/or operation of on-board systems using hydrogen. It has been tested in real conditions aboard Energy Observer over more than 7,000 nautical miles.
The HYNOVA 40 is a 12m boat designed by Chloé Zaied, founder and managing director of HYNOVA Yachts, which can be used as a day-boat or superyacht tender. With a capacity of 12 passengers, it is the first pleasure boat equipped with the REXH2, a zero emissions, silent and hydrogen-electric hybrid technology intended to be manufactured in series.
Launched as a laboratory vessel, Energy Observer has spearheaded numerous projects and taken on some sizeable challenges in a bid to switch ecological transition up a gear.
This rapid evolution has led her to a turning point in her history, prompting the re-examination of her brand strategy and the framework for her development over the coming years.
Energy Observer was launched in 2017 with the aim of being the first vessel to circumnavigate the globe entirely self-sufficiently thanks to renewable energies and hydrogen, without emitting any polluting emissions (fine particles, CO₂) or noise. This is innovation at the service of nature and the widest possible audience and it is the essence of a project that has enabled us to go further than we could ever have imagined. From becoming France’s first ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals, to producing exclusive documentary films and creating Energy Observer Developments to push the envelope with zero-emission technologies, the project is really taking on a whole new dimension. Today, the project is about so much more than a floating laboratory, indeed it is a powerful symbol of awareness.
In order to successfully complete its mission to promote renewable energies and
raise awareness about the challenges of the energy and ecological transition, Energy
Observer is teaming up with the CNES (France’s National Centre for Space Studies).
Through its various space missions and its research activities, France’s National Centre for Space Studies is helping to combat climate change. Indeed, solely the satellites can cover the phenomena at work on a planetary scale and document more than half the key climate variables outlined by the scientific community.
Whether it is a question of the evolution in the height of the oceans, monitoring
of the chemical make-up of the atmosphere or the analysis of the terrestrial biomass, satellite data plays a crucial role in our ability to
better understand the evolution in the climate and the extent of its impact.
In a world ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic, the crew of Energy Observer, the first
vessel powered by renewable energies and hydrogen, has revised its programme,
which was originally supposed to lead her to Tokyo for the Summer Olympic Games.
Captain Victorien Erussard and Expedition leader Jérôme Delafosse and their crew cast off from Fort-de-France last week to continue their Odyssey which will take them from the Caribbean Sea to the Amazon jungle and through to the golden triangle of biodiversity in the Pacific.
Over the course of this two-month Odyssey, the crew – which also comprises Francine Kreiss, freediver-reporter, Katia Nicolet, a doctor
in marine biology and Fitzgérald Jégo, an explorer – will film, photograph, bear witness to and decipher the remarkable ecosystems.
Energy Observer’s first transatlantic passage, from Finistère to Martinique, served as a test bed for this year’s key innovations in renewable energies aboard the floating laboratory.
Thanks to the optimised synergy of her new fuel cell system developed with Toyota, her automatic wings, her new solar panels and her innovative propellers, this long passage could be completed totally self-sufficiently in terms of energy with a hither to unprecedented level of performance.
This transatlantic passage has validated the reliability of this self-sufficient mini- network of energy. So much so, that one could now confidently envisage weeks of exploration in the most remote biodiversity sites, from the Amazon rainforest to the Galapagos, even when a stopover is prohibited and the majority of boats are pinned to the dock.
That’s lockdown at sea then, albeit in complete autonomy thanks to the wind, the sun... and the features of the most common molecule in the universe: hydrogen.
Within the context of a global health crisis, Energy Observer’s scientific and environmental mission continues. Success for Energy Observer’s first major transoceanic passage entirely self-sufficient in energy.
All the technologies worked perfectly, the vessel’s performance demonstrating how
honed its systems are.
Energy Observer is developing solutions for practical applications that respond to the
challenges of tomorrow’s decentralised, inclusive, low-carbon world.
On Tuesday 21 April, the first hydrogen vessel powered by renewable energies docked in Fort-de-France (Martinique, Caribbean) after her first transatlantic passage. Setting sail from Saint-Malo, the journey of around 5,000 nautical miles took just over 30 days, during which time it was totally self-sufficient in terms of energy, with no CO2 or fine particle emissions.
Energy Observer does everything possible to ensure that
the women and men working within and alongside the project are protected and can
carry out their missions in complete safety.
Energy Observer arrived in the Canary Islands on March 25, 2020 after more than
1600 nautical miles since her departure from Saint-Malo.
Having left France before the containment measures, the crew, fortunately in good health, has of course gradually adapted to the
containment measures imposed by the countries visited.
Victorien Erussard and Jérôme Delafosse were due to embark in the Canary Islands for this first ocean crossing but were forced to
abandon it to preserve the health safety of their crew members.
On the 2020 programme, the negotiation of 2 major oceans via 9 stopovers spanning
2 continents.
Highlights: Tokyo during the Olympic Games, then 3 major cities within the State of California, the cradle of America’s ecological transition. Next stopover: Bound for Morocco or the Canaries according to the weather conditions.
Energy Observer, the first vessel powered by renewable energies and hydrogen, cast off this Tuesday 3 March on her epic 4-year round the world voyage. Aboard the boat on leaving Saint Malo in northern Brittany is a substantial team that includes her two historical leaders, the two captains, the ship’s engineers as well as engineers from Energy Observer Developments, who will be present to keep an eye on the setting in motion of all the innovative systems in what still promises to be a difficult sea state as far as Portugal. A boisterous introduction awaits then, but this is a key phase in the bid to make the most of a small weather window in the slew of storms sweeping across the North Atlantic in recent weeks.
On the horizon is a highly colourful 2020, which will see the French vessel cross 2 major oceans and make 9 stopovers, with its two leaders, Victorien Erussard and Jérôme Delafosse, helping to relay the Olympic flame to Japan in early July.
20,000 nautical miles (37,000km), 2 oceans, Energy Observer sets a course for Tokyo
during the Olympic Games then on to California
Energy Observer is preparing for her big 4-year round the world trip. In 2020, the
first hydrogen-powered vessel to be self-sufficient in energy is set to complete the
longest offshore crossings in her history, which will take her as far as Tokyo during
the Olympic Games, and then on to California. Some new on-board technologies will
be tested and optimised during this key stage, giving concrete expression to the
project’s renewed ambition: to design, develop and now share clean energy systems.
Since Energy Observer’s launch in 2017, water of all temperatures has flowed between the hulls of this historic race boat, revamped to create a floating laboratory of clean energies. What might have seemed impossible a few years ago has become a reality rooted in the present day and amassing a series of world debuts: the first complete on-board hydrogen production system, the first self-sufficient floating smart grid with 0% polluting emissions, the first vessel to reach the Arctic without fossil fuels and be completely self-sufficient in energy.
The CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics and a pioneer in the field of energy transition, is joining forces with Energy Observer, the first hydrogen vessel around the world.
A common ambition: zero-emission shipping
A shared challenge: to deploy hydrogen on a large scale in the shipping industry, combining the innovation of our floating laboratory with the expertise of a world leader in shipping and logistics.
The CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics and a pioneer in the field of energy transition, is joining forces with Energy Observer, the first hydrogen vessel around the world.
Toyota develops and delivers specially designed Fuel Cell System to Energy Observer, the first hydrogen vessel to sail around the world.
Adding to the successful partnership since 2017, Toyota further supports the global voyage of Energy Observer with a hydrogen maritime application. The Toyota Fuel Cell System was designed as a modular solution which can also be considered for applications in trucks, buses, marine and stationary use.
Toyota has been involved in the Energy Observer project from the start, because of hydrogen being at the very heart of this amazing journey. During a six-year odyssey, which started in 2017, the Energy Observer team is navigating the first energy-autonomous hydrogen boat around the globe.
The electrically propelled vessel of the future operates by using a mix of renewable energies and a system that produces carbon-free hydrogen from seawater.
