Renewable energy boat in London

Jérôme Delafosse Expedition Leader

Jérôme Delafosse, Energy Observer Expedition Leader and Director

The third year of navigation is coming to an end in the British capital, which has in place an ambitious policy to support energy transition thanks to the use of hydrogen and renewable energies. The city is also home to the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization, which is setting up targets to reduce the speed of shipping vessels in order to reduce the sector’s CO2 emissions.

“London, the last stopover in our Northern Europe tour. What a long way we have come! Energy Observer was able to discover the many initiatives deployed by the major capitals of Northern Europe in terms of energy and environmental transition. We also managed a navigation of 5700 km from Saint-Petersburg to Spitsbergen in the Arctic in total autonomy! A symbolic moment that reminds us of the urgency to act in the face of climate change, which is particularly prominent in this polar zone. We are very happy to arrive in the UK and discover all the initiatives that are being undertaken here, such as the first ever HydroFLEX hydrogen train, a prototype train that will replace diesel trains to decarbonize the British rail network by 2040. And we are honoured to have both the IRENA and IMO present at this press conference, each playing a major role in energy transition on land and at sea “.

Victorien Erussard, President, Founder and Captain of Energy Observer

In the United Kingdom, for several years, private companies and public authorities have been involved in the development of renewable energies. And so the country has reduced its CO2 emissions by 38% since 1990. It’s better than any other industrialized country! 2019 is announced as the year in which renewable energies will exceed fossil fuels for the first time. With the objective of increasing the share of renewables to 80% by 2030 – half of which is offshore wind energy – and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Energy Observer operates thanks to a revolutionary energy mix composed of three sources of renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro-generation) and a complete chain of carbon-free hydrogen (produced by seawater electrolysis). The boat emits no CO2 emissions, no fine particles and no noise that could disturb the underwater fauna.

The OceanWings wings have proved their worth, especially when sailing in the Arctic, as they optimize the energy input of the wind (by up to 42%) and save energy traditionally allocated to the propulsion of the boat, thus making it possible to produce hydrogen while sailing.

Carbon-free hydrogen has huge potential to support a sustainable energy transition. Diversity is a source of resilience, so the energy mix developed on Energy Observer shows that practical alternatives to fossil fuels do exist and can be developed both on land and at sea. Energy Observer, a clean tech laboratory, has implemented and tested efficient systems. It offers viable solutions to accelerate the energy transition, one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century.