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Energy Observer begins its third shipyard

Energy Observer is of course a marine vessel and a media platform, but above all it’s a floating laboratory. The crew has tasked itself to test, over six years and in extreme conditions, an innovative energy architecture, heralding tomorrow’s energy systems. After a first design workshop in Saint-Malo, and a second one at La-Seyne-sur-Mer following its tour of France, Energy Observer has just began its third shipyard to continue validating and optimizing onboard technologies.

Energy Observer sails with the city of Saint-Malo in the background

The world’s first hydrogen vessel returned to Saint-Malo after 16 months of expedition and 10,326 nautical miles on the counter. While its French tour mainly utilized the technologies for coastal sailing, the Mediterranean tour gave the crew a chance to evaluate the vessel over longer periods at sea (up to 6 days in total energy self-sufficiency) and under very high temperatures, exceeding 40°C.

After the Mediterranean, Northern Europe

After leaving Marseille in March, Energy Observer sailed for more than 6 months under near optimal conditions, taking advantage of lots of sun to produce the vessel’s energy, and only needing the hydrogen at night or when it was very cloudy. A completely different set of condition await the explorers of the future starting in March next year when the embark on their tour of Northern Europe. With less sun, more wind, and colder temperatures, they need to adapt the boat to these new parameters.

With their 10,326 miles of experience at sea, sailors and engineers are currently working on the first technological and energetic assessment of the vessel and the integration of brand new technologies that will be unveiled to the public at Nautic, the Paris international boat show.

What's coming next

- Optimizing the surface and efficiency of photovoltaic panels

- Improving the fuel cell’s calorie-recovery to store energy in the form of heat as well as the hydrogen production chain.

- Transforming the vessel’s of wind-turbine resources and optimizing hydro-generation.

The whole team will be waiting to welcome you on 8 to 16 December in Hall 1, and to help you discover Energy Observer’s first detailed evaluation and the newest innovations in its Odyssey for the Future.

- Transformation des ressources éoliennes à bord et optimisation de l’hydro-géneration.

The whole team will be waiting to welcome you from the 8th to the 16th of December in Hall 1, to help you discover Energy Observer’s first detailed evaluation and the newest innovations in its Odyssey for the Future.