{"id":970,"date":"2020-03-04T17:45:50","date_gmt":"2020-03-04T16:45:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goodnewenergy.enagas.es\/uncategorized\/hidrogeno-verde-para-navegar-con-rumbo-sostenible\/"},"modified":"2024-09-23T14:42:42","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T12:42:42","slug":"green-hydrogen-for-sustainable-shipping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goodnewenergy.enagas.es\/en\/innovative\/green-hydrogen-for-sustainable-shipping\/","title":{"rendered":"Green hydrogen for sustainable shipping"},"content":{"rendered":"

Will ships be able to power themselves exclusively with 100% clean energy? <\/strong>This is the big question facing maritime transport at this stage of the ecological transition. Today, liquefied natural gas is the most sustainable real alternative, although there are other options that are helping to solve the problem. One example is the case of the \u2018Energy Observer<\/a>\u2019. This boat, the first to be electrically powered with green hydrogen, is travelling around the world without producing any polluting emissions.<\/p>\n

Technology and innovation are allied with environmental commitment in an interesting project that is being used to test whether the combination of <\/strong>hydrogen<\/a><\/strong> and renewable energies can power boats. <\/strong>The boat began its journey in Paris to the Atlantic Ocean more than three years ago and its plans including visiting about 50 countries with more than 100 stopovers when the expedition concludes in late 2022.<\/p>\n

The ‘Energy Observer’, built in the early 80s, has been a pioneer from its beginnings. Its innovative configuration\u2014at the time it was the largest maxi-catamaran in the world\u2014marked the evolution of multihull vessels, so much so that in 1984 it set a record by being the first sailing boat capable of sailing around 500 miles in less than 24 hours.<\/p>\n

A decade later, it would become part of another sailing landmark: the central part of the boat was the base of the ‘ENZA New Zealand’ multi-hull vessel with which Robin Knox-Johnston and Peter Blake won the Jules Verne Trophy in 1994 when they sailed around the world in less than 75 days.<\/p>\n

The ‘Energy Observer’, which has been sailing around the world on the high seas for three years, is confirming the possibilities of marine hydrogen within the energy transition process, although there are still challenges ahead.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

An adventure with electric engines<\/h2>\n

Before starting its current sustainable adventure, it was necessary to adapt the vessel, or rather, to transform it, so much so that its weight could be reduced to under 30 tons, making it the lightest boat with battery storage systems.<\/p>\n

The changes are also visible to the naked eye. For the generation of the solar and wind energy that powers the two electric engines, three photovoltaic panels were installed, occupying more than 130 square metres of the catamaran’s deck. It also has two wind turbines and a 50 square metre energy kite. All of this is essential to make it move using renewable energy.<\/p>\n

The above are two of the boat\u2019s power sources. But what happens on days when there is neither sun nor wind? It is clear that a backup is needed to enable the machinery to continue working. And this where the green <\/strong>hydrogen that the vessel is able to autogenerate from the sea comes into play. Specifically, it is extracted by electrolysis from the sea water that the boat itself collects as it moves.<\/p>\n

The hydrogen is stored in a fuel cell to be used as needed, so as to complement the solar and wind energy, making sailing completely sustainable. It does not give off<\/a> any greenhouse gas emissions or fine particles into the atmosphere. Sun, wind and water are the <\/strong>resources that make this boat’s electric motors work.<\/p>\n