The zero-emission, green-energy-powered Energy Observer (EO) has docked in Cape Town for a visit of just more than a week, as published on Engineering News.
Floating laboratory
The vessel serves as a floating laboratory for testing various eco-friendly energy solutions and incorporates 202 m2 of solar panels. To minimize shade on the solar-covered deck, the vessel features two small sails. The main energy source for the vessel is hydrogen, which can be produced onboard from seawater. To propel the ship using hydrogen, particularly during nighttime, fuel cells adapted from the Toyota Mirai fuel-cell sedan are utilized. Toyota, along with industrial gas specialist Air Liquide, is a technology partner in the EO project.
Crucial alternative
The France-based vessel, Energy Observer (EO), is an autonomous ship that utilizes seawater to create electricity, producing hot water and heat for the crew’s use. Since 2017, the EO has sailed over 50,000 nautical miles and visited 80 ports worldwide. The journey of the EO is scheduled to conclude next year, and it will be succeeded by the EO II, a larger cargo vessel designed to carry 1,100 containers. The EO II will use liquid hydrogen as its energy source, aiming to become the world’s lowest-carbon cargo ship. EO’s founder, Victoria Erussard, aims to address the ecological impact of the global fleet of merchant vessels, which currently rely heavily on polluting heavy fuel oil. Maritime traffic is expected to increase significantly by 2050, making sustainable alternatives crucial.
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Source: Engineering News
