The boat that recently docked at Boston's Lowe's Pier looks like no other ship in the world. Its name is Energy Observer, and it has been traveling the world for seven years using only renewable electricity to spread the word of sustainability at sea.
The vessel is a demonstration project supported by the French hydrogen energy company, which is also supported by a number of other technology companies in the renewable energy sector. She set sail in 2017 and has been at sea ever since.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about this catamaran's hull, which stretches 100 feet from bow to stern, is that it's covered in solar panels.
The ship's crew, including climate scientist Beatriz Cordiano, recently gave GBH News a tour of the ship.
“So, if you want to follow me, as you can see, one of the energy sources we use is solar panels,” Cordiano said as he walked over the hundreds of panels covering the boat. Said. “We covered the entire boat with a variety of technologies.”
These solar panels charge lithium batteries and provide short-term storage of power to power the ship's electric motors.
“And we can store hydrogen for long periods of time, which is the masterpiece of this boat,” she said. “So we produce hydrogen on board.”
As Cordiano explained, they suck up seawater, run it through a system that desalinates it, and then use a device called an electrolyser to separate the water into two parts: hydrogen and oxygen. That hydrogen is stored in tanks on both the port and starboard sides of the boat and can be converted back into electricity through fuel cells when needed.
Melanie de Groot van Emden is an onboard reporter for the Energy Observer, reporting on the carbon-free ship's story.
“The shipping industry pollutes the oceans tremendously. And 90% of the goods we consume are transported on cargo ships,” said de Groot van Emden. “And at the moment, the vast majority still use marine diesel, which accounts for 3% of global emissions. So we need to raise awareness about it and make sure that there is a solution. We want to show that the technology is mature and we just need to scale up.”
Since entering service, the boat has sailed widely to spread its message.
“We went to Hawaii. We went to New Caledonia. We went to Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, South Africa, Brazil and now the United States,” de Groot said.・Mr. Van Emden said.
They even sailed in the Arctic Circle to show that their technology works in extreme temperatures. According to De Groot van Embden, the boat is popular in all ports.
“The United States has always been the most enthusiastic about our technology, even though we are also the second-highest emitter in the world,” she said. “So it’s always a little contradictory.”
Energy Observer sails through Boston Harbor.
Provided by Energy Observer Productions
Energy Observer also uses wind power, but without traditional sails. This was the first ship to pioneer a technology called “ocean wing”.
Luc Boursley, the ship's engineer, pressed a switch and the two wings rose vertically from the ship in a tower 10 meters (about 33 feet) high. They are fully automated and can capture the wind no matter which direction the ship is heading, Brusly said. What's more, it's easy to use.
“So even if severe weather approaches, it can be lowered very quickly and easily,” Brusley said.
Due to its design, the OceanWing is about twice as efficient as a traditional sail, according to Brusley, and its rectangular profile does not cast a large shadow on the solar panels below.
Just as hybrid cars use momentum to charge their batteries when braking, forward motion under sail can also be converted back into electricity.
“We can also use the speed of the boat, thanks to the wind, to put the propeller in reverse mode and generate electricity from that speed to create a motor. [act like] “It’s a generator,” he said.
Brusly sees hope in news last year that a cargo ship from Singapore was retrofitted with marine wings, significantly reducing fuel use. Some of Energy Observer's technologies are not yet commercially viable, but the purpose of the ship is to test them, Brusly said.
“Don't wait until it's too late to develop these solutions,” he said.
The Energy Observer will set sail again early this week, with the crew set to cross the Atlantic and return to their hometown of Paris in time for the Olympics in July. The world presents them with a one-time opportunity.
