Press room

As France's first ambassador for the SDGs, Energy Observer will be sailing to Washington and then to New York to meet with institutional bodies, investors, opinion leaders and the general public at this time of strategic choices. The vessel will then cross the Atlantic for the 3rd time before returning to her home port of Saint Malo, and to the place of her christening in Paris (2017) to coincide with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. A decisive and exciting year!

"Cela fait 10 ans que je crois au potentiel de l’hydrogène pour réduire notre impact carbone. Notre navire laboratoire Energy Observer, navigue depuis 6 ans autour du monde alimenté en partie grâce à l'hydrogène vert que nous produisons à bord. En France, cette molécule polarise le débat sur notre futur énergétique et pose encore des questions. Malgré cela, une filière importante est en train d’émerger sur notre territoire, une filière qui il y a quelques années n'existait presque pas. Avec mon équipe, j’ai voulu aller aux 4 coins du pays pour mieux comprendre le potentiel de l’hydrogène bas carbone et rencontrer ses pionniers, ceux pour qui l’hydrogène est déjà une réalité! "

Victorien Erussard, Président, capitaine et fondateur d'Energy Observer

After 23 days of sailing from Walvis Bay in Namibia and 3,385 nautical miles, the catamaran docked in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceàra. The region is highly favorable to the development of wind energy, and the country's northeast is home to the country's best wind resources, with 80% of the national wind farms. Brazil's energy sector is one of the most diversified and and less carbon intensive in the world. It’s a perfect place to study and encounter, and a source of inspiration for Energy Observer's crew during this ten-day stopover.

For Victorien Erussard, President, captain and founder of Energy Observer :

“As a passionate lover of the sea, I dream of decarbonizing the maritime sector. Our collaboration with Qair, as well as key partners like Air Liquide, Toyota, and Accor, all present at this event, is fundamental in realizing this vision. Each brings a unique and valuable expertise, contributing to a collective momentum towards sustainability. Hydrogen is essential for decarbonizing industry and mobility, and our presence here in Fortaleza is highly symbolic. Thanks to the commitment and innovation of all our partners, especially Qair in harnessing wind and solar energy, the conditions are optimal for generating low-cost green electrons. This enables the production of hydrogen at a competitive price, challenging the dominance of fossil fuels. Together, we are taking a crucial step in our quest for a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy future."

Qair, an independent renewable energy company and official partner of Energy Observer, is hosting this stopover with the support of the Government of the State of Ceará, the Fortaleza City Hall, and the Ceará-based company CSI. Other long-standing Energy Observer partners are also involved, including the Accor group, Air Liquide, and Toyota, which will set up an exhibition including hybrid, electric and hydrogen vehicles.

“We are very proud of being one of Energy Observer partners and very supportive with the other partners of this human, technological and maritime innovative odyssey. As a renewable energy company, Qair is committed to deliver innovative clean energy solutions, and preserve the environment in which we operate. Energy Observer thus offers us an access to a live laboratory for the energy transition, testing technologies that are and will be deployed on larger scales, in particular in Brazil, thanks to the expertise and commitment of Qair Brasil", Louis Blanchard CEO of Qair.

Qair Experience exhibition will take place alongside the Qair Bus and the laboratory vessel, with immersive content on Energy Observer's Odyssey, the energy transition and the study of marine environments. It will be powered by two EODev's electro-hydrogen generators and low-carbon hydrogen supplied by Air Liquide.

Institutions such as the French Embassy in Brazil, the French Consulate in Recife, and numerous schools and universities will gather around the vessel's arrival with about 500 students expected.

H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Lenain, French Ambassador to Brazil, underlines the significance of the event in the context of Franco-Brazilian friendship and their shared ambition for the environment:

« As a true laboratory for ecological transition, Energy Observer demonstrates the full extent of French know-how in clean, innovative technologies. Like Energy Observer, the French Embassy in Brazil contributes to raising awareness of environmental protection through several programs such as FranceEcoLab and LabJovens.

There is also long-standing cooperation between Brazilian and French research institutes, such as Ifremer and IRD, leading to regular exchanges and joint work between researchers. At a time when Brazil will be hosting COP30 in 2025, and France will be hosting the next United Nations Conference on the Oceans, our two countries are asserting their ambitions in favor of environmental protection. This issue is central to the renewed cooperation between France and Brazil."

With a population of almost 215 million, Brazil is the world's ninth-largest energy consumer. Nearly half of its primary energy demand is met by renewable energies, notably hydroelectric, bioenergy, wind, and solar power, which make up around 80% of its electricity mix, making its energy sector one of the most diversified and least carbon-intensive on the planet.

As a world leader in biofuels, Brazil is focusing on the large-scale development of second-generation fuels essential for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) production. The Northeast region, rich in wind resources and home to 80% of the country's wind farms, sees the state of Ceará, particularly Fortaleza, as a prime site for wind power.

Invited by Qair, official partner of the Odyssey, with the support of its partners such as the Accor Group, Air Liquide, and Toyota, as well as the active collaboration of the French Embassy in Brazil and the French Consulate in Recife, this Brazilian stopover will provide an ideal setting for a wide range of interactions focusing on national energy issues, enriched by an unprecedented audiovisual production.

With an average of 300 days of sunshine a year and long days lasting between 11 and 14 hours, depending on the season, Namibia is just behind Chile, which holds the world record for sunshine. That's over 3,000 hours of sunlight a year, in one of the continent's most politically stable countries. Namibia's cool temperatures are also a main factor in improving the efficiency of the photovoltaic panels, a phenomenon that the Energy Observer crew witnesses every day on the vessel's deck. That is thanks to the cold Benguela marine current that runs along the west coast of southern Africa.

With its remarkable renewable energy and mining resources, massive investment in seawater desalination, and massive green hydrogen production projects, Energy Observer had to uncover and document the challenges facing this extraordinary country. For this 81st stopover, the laboratory vessel is docked at the Walvis Bay Yacht Club, the country's only deep-water commercial port and future low-carbon fuel terminal, ideally located on the South Atlantic shipping routes.

Namibia begins its energy transition

Agathe Roullin, onboard reporter, and Victorien Erussard visited and filmed an impressive seawater desalination plant installed by French company Orano.

One of Namibia's main problems is the lack of water, with rainfall barely exceeding twenty millimeters a year in the west of the country (sixty times less than in Brest) and freshwater resources under enormous pressure from the mining industry.

As a reminder, Namibia's subsoil is exceptionally rich, with uranium in particular (Namibia is the world's 3rd largest producer) in the Erongo region (Walvis Bay). This mining resource accounts for around 10% of the country's GDP and more than 60% of export earnings over the 2017-2019 period.

To remedy this shortage of fresh water and meet its needs, the French company Orano (formerly Areva) has installed the largest reverse osmosis seawater desalination complex in Southern Africa.

“The plant currently produces 12 to 13 million cubic meters of fresh water per year (1,800 m3 per hour), 90% for the mining industry and 10% for the local population," explains Agathe Roullin, onboard reporter who visited the site with Victorien Erussard. “As the hydrogen economy matures, it's clear that demand will continue to grow considerably, necessitating the creation of new plants like Erongo. The challenge will be to ensure that local populations benefit from it and that the impact on marine ecosystems is limited.”

Orano reserves the right to almost double its annual production to 25 million cubic meters of fresh water, "the equivalent of 10,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools", or even to invest further, increasing the site's output to 45 million cubic meters."

That is also where the Namibian paradox comes to the fore. The seawater pumps that power the Erongo site are electrically driven and are themselves, powered by electricity purchased from neighboring South Africa.

"Namibia relies on imports for 60% of its electricity consumption, via contracts with South Africa among others, most of whose production is generated by coal-fired power plants...".

In the short term, Orano wishes to decarbonize part of its business and has just embarked on the development of a solar power plant.

This was a particularly difficult journey for the crew, with four sheltered stops between Mayotte and Cape Town due to harsh weather conditions, including strong winds and heavy seas. This 80th stopover will gather a host of institutional, industrial, and academic players committed to working with Energy Observer to make the energy transition a reality accessible to all.

The laboratory vessel is docked at Cape Town's V&A Waterfront from June 12th to 20th next to her pedagogical exhibition open to the public in order to raise public awareness of the energy and ecological transition's challenges.

For Kadri Nassiep, Executive Director of Energy at the City of Cape Town: “The City of Cape Town is a keen supporter of technology and solutions that promote a safer and more sustainable energy future. Energy Observer is a powerful platform to showcase the solutions that will hopefully power not just our seafaring vessels, but towns and cities in the future. Innovation and resilience are the cornerstones of our energy future”.

Celebrating youth and science

Industrial, institutional and academic players committed to green hydrogen and renewable energy development will be present during the laboratory vessel's stopover. Dr. Blade Nzimande, Minister of Education, Science, and Technology, will also be present during the inauguration.

“The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) welcomes efforts by Air Liquide and the Energy Observer initiative that aims to highlight the need to transition to a carbon free environment. As part of a national drive to create a clean, affordable and sustainable energy future for South Africa, the South African government through my Department has developed the Hydrogen Society Roadmap (HSRM) in 2021. Not only will green hydrogen valleys ensure the move away from fossil fuels, but it would create jobs, attract investment, bring development to rural provinces and support. Through the HSRM, the Department is also ensuring that hydrogen can be utilized as lever for social justice in the context of South Africa’s transition to cleaner energy sources.”

Education will be honored for National Youth Day on June 16, when Mr. Buti Manamela, Deputy Minister for Higher Education, Science, and Innovation, will take part in the opening of the "Youth in Innovation" exhibition organized by Sasol, event partner of Energy Observer in Cape Town.

“We are proud to support Energy Observer in its mission to promote renewable energy deployment. This partnership aligns with our commitment to sustainability and reflects our belief in the power of technology and partnerships to address climate change. By working together, we can drive positive change and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future.” Dr Thembakazi Mali, Sasol Senior Vice President for Research and Technology at Sasol.

Finally, a round table on the state of research and green hydrogen in the Southern African context will be organized on June 17 by Energy Observer and the University of Cape Town's Energy Systems Research Group.

Practical information

• Dates: From June 12 to 20
• Exhibition village : Open to the public from June 12 to 18, from 10 am to 6 pm.
• Free admission
• Address docking vessel and village: Jetty 2, Victoria and Alfred Waterfront - Cape Town, 8001, South Africa

With the 40th anniversary of the vessel, the teams wish to celebrate all the technological partners who have participated in this feat of longevity by constantly pushing the limits of durability and reliability! It's been over three years since Energy Observer is far from her bases, another record for these innovative technologies, which prefigure the energy systems essential to the energy transition!

After crisscrossing South East Asia in 2022, from Indonesia to India through Singapore, Energy Observer is about to cross the Indian Ocean, then the Atlantic Ocean to head towards South America. Dotted with isolated island states, the Indian Ocean witnesses global warming and is highly exposed to energy issues. At the end of this crossing, the vessel will stop in South Africa, the continent's economic powerhouse with a historical dependence on coal. Then to Brazil, where many alternative energy projects are developing.

2023 will therefore be more than ever focused on observing and deciphering the energy issues of our time in a rapidly changing southern hemisphere.

Actors from the region, the hydrogen industry, and the general public will gather around this exhibition of general interest to raise awareness of the challenges that face the energy transition and sustainable development.

This exhibition aims to highlight local initiatives for energy sobriety and to expose low-carbon solutions that bring a concrete and positive response to the imperative of the energy transition. An overall demonstration of what Energy Observer can bring together beyond the maritime world.

Practical information:

Open to the general public from February 4 to 24

Opening hours: from 10 am to 6 pm

Guided tours, led by a member of the Energy Observer team, are organised on the following dates:

• Sunday 5 February at 12pm and 1pm
• Monday 6 February at 12pm and 1pm
• Tuesday 7 February at 12pm and 1pm
• Wednesday 8 February at 12pm and 1pm
• Thursday 9 February at 12pm and 1pm
• Friday 10 February at 12pm and 1pm
• Sunday 12 February at 12pm and 1pm
• Sunday 19 February at 12pm and 1pm

Places for the guided tours are limited to 25 people, so please arrive at the exhibition entrance 5 minutes before the start time.

While our laboratory vessel is in the Indian Ocean for a several-week technical stopover, it is in a completely different setting that the pedagogical exhibition village will open its doors to the public from February 4 to 24 in the Avoriaz station, under the aegis of the Energy Observer endowment fund and in partnership with the municipality of Morzine-Avoriaz, the event's host partner.

Energy Observer in Morzine-Avoriaz: mobilizing positive energies in high mountains

In a context of crucial decarbonization and climate crisis, especially for the high mountains' most fragile ecosystems, the goal is to mobilize a large community of actors from the region and the hydrogen industry around concrete solutions for the energy transition while raising awareness of the preservation of this exceptional environment.

This event will highlight low-carbon energy mixes, mobility, and direct zero-emission engines, and good practices in terms of energy sobriety.

The first vessel powered by renewable energy and hydrogen, the first French ambassador for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, arrived on November 14th in Kochi, Kerala, after 17 days of sailing and 1,645 nautical miles travelled from Langkawi, Malaysia.

An event dedicated to green hydrogen

On the occasion of the vessel's stopover, the Energy Management Center (EMC), the state designated agency to enforce energy conservation act in Kerala, is organizing a special event: "Green hydrogen pathways to sustainable future". This forum will bring together many Indian institutions around the challenges of green hydrogen development.

Industrialists, academics, governmental agencies, and a large panel of actors involved in the energy transition will gather for Energy Observer's arrival during a 3-day workshop dedicated to the hydrogen value chain: production, transport, storage, maritime and land applications. Key challenges that are perfectly in line with Energy Observer's missions.

Mobilizing all actors

Langkawi Island is the culmination of the Energy Observer's tour in South East Asia, which will then head to India and the Kerala region for its last stopover in 2022.

Many actors are mobilized around the arrival of the laboratory ship, partners of the Odyssey and local and institutional player.

"The French Embassy is proud to be associated with the stopover of Energy Observer in Malaysia. A press visit, a privileged exchange with the students of the French high school of Kuala Lumpur and the organization of a scientific field visit for the crew members will fully participate in the valorization of the event, in the bilateral exchanges on the energy transition, and in the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals." Virginie Bioteau, chargée d‘affaires at the French Embassy in Malaysia.

The NGO Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), a scientific and educational partner of Energy Observer Foundation, has been collaborating with the crew through its Malaysian hub and the Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), which offers a number of programmes dedicated to marine biodiversity and the oceans. SOA is a global community of young people, entrepreneurs, and experts in their field, collaborating to solve the greatest challenges facing our oceans.

Energy Observer’s stopover in Malaysia is thus an opportunity to explore the solutions that will enable the rise of a more sustainable maritime transport, to welcome on board pupils and students from local schools and to support the various players in their efforts towards an ecological transition to preserve our ecosystems on land and at sea.

This exhibition will open its doors from 17 September in Saint Malo, every weekend for the general public and weekdays for students from the region’s schools.

This travelling exhibition and the panoramic Grande roue Ferris wheel will be powered using EODev’s (Energy Observer Developments) GEH2® electro-hydrogen generator during the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, in order to provide a practical demonstration of direct zero-emission energy solutions and showcase their potential in event applications.

SailGP France’s Race for the Future partner, Energy Observer Foundation is tasked with accelerating energy transition and raising awareness amongst all the event’s protagonists about the potential of renewable energies and their hydrogen storage.

Broadcast in almost 150 territories worldwide, the SailGP races (11 for this third season) offer an exceptional international showcase for the pedagogical actions of Energy Observer Foundation in the preservation of the oceans, and for the concrete solutions that will allow the championship to reach its clean energy objectives.

Reducing the impact of motorsports with hydrogen

After rolling out its hydrogen solutions at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, followed by the French Formula 1 Grand Prix in Le Castellet, Energy Observer Developments (EODev) will now provide two electro-hydrogen generators GEH2® in Saint Tropez to supply the event’s entire technical base. The regatta is a very big apart of the DNA of Energy Observer, whose laboratory vessel is the former race boat that belonged to Sir Peter Blake, winner of the America’s Cup, and the majority of her creators have a racing background (French and World F18 champions, multihull skippers and managers, America’s Cup). EODev also brings its expertise to several large multihull racing projects and presented in Cannes this week a chase boat capable of reaching 50 knots, developed with Blue Game and the challenger American Magic, for the 37th America's Cup.

This stopover will be, as the previous ones, the occasion to receive on board all the actors involved in these stakes, including the partners of the project. Groupe BPCE is celebrating its 30 years of presence in Vietnam, Qair is developing innovative solar and wind projects, Air Liquide is planning to double its investments and Accor as well as CMA CGM and Toyota are very active in the country. The Energy Observer crew will be able to present the ship's autonomous zero-emission system to several hundred visitors and decision-makers, and as always to many students and school children in collaboration with the French Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam and the challenges of the transition

Like many countries, Vietnam faces a complex equation: how to reconcile rapid growth, with an energy demand that has been multiplied by 5,5 in the last 20 years, and the need to decarbonize, while allowing renewable energies to flourish?

In February 2021, the Vietnamese government has released a draft of the country’s national power development plan for 2021 to 2030. The plan expands current wind and solar capacity and prioritizes enhancing grid infrastructure to ensure stable operation with a higher share of renewables.

Following an ambitious stopover in Singapore, which gathered major players in the maritime transport and energy industries around the vessel and its pedagogical exhibition village, our floating laboratory left the city-state to set course for Thailand, with Pattaya as its designated entry port.

The region’s energy sovereignty challenges

Thailand’s energy policy consists of reducing its dependence on natural gas to bolster its energy independence. The country has a long and rich history, attaining universal access to electricity several decades ago, with its energy consumption per inhabitant doubling over the past 20 years. Today, Thailand aspires to become the ‘Silicon Valley of Asia’, by completely transforming its electricity sector and investing heavily in renewable energies.

Similarly, Bangkok is eager to become ‘Asia’s electric transport capital’, with 1-million electric vehicles planned by 2025, increasing to 15 million by 2035. Electric ferries already transport passengers across the Chao Phraya River, which flows through the capital. From wind farms to hybrid solar/hydropower plants, solar farms, photovoltaic rooftops, and biomass power plants, all the different options and possibilities have been implemented to reduce the need to import fossil fuels. It’s a crucial decade for Thailand and its economic development and Energy Observer is keen to document it during its round the world Odyssey.

Energy Observer’s production team will be on hand to document the different solutions designed to support the country’s energy transition. Our team will further assess the challenges linked to preserving the country's biodiversity in the face of mass tourism and overfishing.

Such challenges fully resonate with Energy Observer’s role as the first French ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals.

After having sailed for 17 days from Lombok in Indonesia and covered 1577 nautical miles, the laboratory vessel has docked at the ONE°15 Marina in Sentosa Cove for a stopover starting March 10th to 20th, 2022. The vessel is accompanied by its pedagogical exhibition village, which aims to raise awareness of the energy and ecological transition among all audiences.

A unique opportunity to mobilize the key players in maritime transport and energy in the city-state: the world's leading bunkering port, a crossroads for international trade.

Maritime transport accounts for 3% of CO2 emissions annually on a global scale. The ambition of Energy Observer and its partners is to present prototype solutions leaning towards zero-emission for the transport of goods.The technologies are now mature, with liquid hydrogen storage well mastered, the deployment of liquefiers around the world, and the latest generations of mass-produced fuel cells.

Energy Observer is now tackling the latest technological challenges, such as the integration of large tanks or the management of cryogenic temperatures, thanks to the unfailing support of its historical and technological partners.

At the forefront, Air Liquide, the world leader in hydrogen for over 50 years for industry and space. Air Liquide masters the production, storage, distribution, and safety of liquid hydrogen and thus brings its technological expertise and its capacity for innovation.

Energy Observer and its Strategic Partner, the CMA CGM Group, analyze together the commercial and operational parameters of this new generation of cargo-ship. The CMA CGM Group, a world leader in maritime transport and logistics, and Energy Observer thus confirm their pioneering commitment to the energy transition of maritime transport.

EODev, the industrial subsidiary of Energy Observer that designed the first certified hydrogen boat, and develops accessible and marinized systems, is an expert in fuel cells' integration in demanding environments.

LMG Marin, the naval architecture firm that pioneered decarbonated propulsion and developed the world's first liquid hydrogen ferry, Hydra, is the design office in charge of this innovative project.

Another important partner is Bureau Veritas, a key player in the evolution of maritime regulations and innovations, which has accompanied Energy Observer since the launch of its first hydrogen-powered vessel.

Finally, the French Maritime Cluster and the T2EM Institute is working with academic, scientific, and industrial partners to create the Institute for the Eco-Energy Transition of the Maritime Sector (T2EM), whose objective is to steer and implement the national structuring program "Zero Emission Ship & Port" to achieve the goals of decarbonation, emissions reduction and respect for the biodiversity of the sector. Energy Observer 2 is the Institute's "flagship," the first full-scale demonstrator to power the entire industry.

You can find the teasing video about Energy Observer 2 following this link.

That is the strength of this technological, innovative, and human project: cooperating with players who act on all the vectors of the ecological and energy transition, with a wide range of skills, which include hydrogen, green financing, climate risk insurance, hospitality, training for the professions of tomorrow, sustainable mobility, software intelligence, the circular economy, renewable energies, etc.

After the reinforcement of the partnership with Air Liquide, the arrival of the BPCE Group, then of Triangle intérim, the project federates new actors with GUYOT environnement and Qair, respectively partners and official patrons.

These partners will support the continuance of the Odyssey until 2024 and will partake in the awareness and acculturation actions around new energies led by the Energy Observer Foundation.

Qair, Official "Renewable Energy" Partner of Energy Observer

Energy Observer is a flagship of future smart-grids, developing an optimized energy mix that mobilizes solar, wind, and hydro-generation. In each of these fields, the laboratory vessel undertakes, develops, optimizes, and assembles the world's most efficient features. It then stores its energy production in batteries, but most importantly, in a complete renewable hydrogen system produced from the electrolysis of seawater.

Qair is an independent renewable energy producer with 1GW of assets in operation and under construction. The company develops onshore and offshore wind, solar, hydroelectric, and green hydrogen projects on its account in Europe, Brazil, Africa, and Asia.

Thus, the partnership with Qair, an agile, international, and versatile actor, particularly resonates with the concerns of Energy Observer. Qair will fetch its international and multi-local vision of specific territories with varied resources to the project, but also its expertise in the development of responsible energy production ecosystems.

By deploying installations mixing several sources of renewable energy, Qair deploys on a large scale the innovations that Energy Observer experiments at sea.

Challenges of the marine environment are at the heart of the concerns of Qair, a pioneer in floating wind power, winner in 2022 in Scotland of 2GW of offshore wind power, a candidate in the tender for offshore wind power in Southern Brittany, and developer of a tidal turbine pilot project in Raz Blanchard.

This partnership is thus in line with the actions of studying and preserving the marine environment carried out by the Qair group, which is why the enterprise decided to support this initiative aimed at decarbonization and preservation of the oceans.

GUYOT environnement, Official "Circular Economy" Partner of Energy Observer

As a refitted racing catamaran, launched in 1983 and recycled in 2016, Energy Observer could not have dreamed of anything better than to be associated with an innovative player in the circular economy, committed to the energy transition! For more than thirty years, GUYOT environnement has placed the environment at the heart of its strategy by doing everything possible to provide alternative solutions to the use of fossil fuels.

It transforms non-recyclable waste into fuel, to provide alternative solutions to the use of fossil fuels. Tomorrow, they will produce energy to be autonomous. Energy autonomy is a key goal of Energy Observer: to consume only what we can produce, to reach maximum efficiency, and thus to gain our energetic independence.

As the regional and independent leader in the recovery of waste and materials, the Brittany company is more than ever asserting its leading role as a developer of resources. With 16 sites in Brittany and Spain, 400 employees with expertise in the environmental sector, 800,000 tons of waste recovered in 2021, and a turnover of 260 million euros, GUYOT environnement is a key partner for Brittany, and its local actors, to meet the major environmental challenges of tomorrow.

Last but not least, GUYOT environnement wants to decarbonize the transport of its recycled materials, especially from the Port of Brest, where the One Ocean Summit will take place next week. An opportunity for Energy Observer to present a zero-emission cargo ship with breakthrough technologies.

Exploring positive energies in France and around the world, Energy Observer is delighted to welcome onboard a partnership that enriches the skills of its partners, but also its values and actions in favor of the transition.

After 48,000 nautical miles sailed by the laboratory catamaran around the globe, with over sixty stopovers and demonstrations in more than 30 countries, crossings of the Mediterranean, the Baltic, the Atlantic, and the Pacific;

After achieving a series of world firsts, such as the boarding of a complete hydrogen production chain based on seawater electrolysis, the integration of a marinized fuel cell of great diffusion, the certification of the first mass-produced boat powered by hydrogen, the development of OceanWings®, the reaching of Spitsbergen without fossil fuels and the illumination of the Eiffel Tower with renewable hydrogen;

After having raised awareness by welcoming thousands of schoolchildren and students, the public, industrial actors, as well as the Secretary-General and experts of the International Maritime Organization, Irena, the European Commission, members of the European, French, and Californian governments;

After having developed with EODev and Toyota Motor Europe accessible energy solutions using hydrogen, distributed worldwide for outdoor and maritime applications, bringing clean energy to the most important events, as well as to the most isolated sites;

Energy Observer, with its unique experiences, expertise, and the support of its partners, aware of the climate emergency that led the IMO to set ambitious goals, launches the development of a multipurpose cargo ship, likely the most common ship in the world's commercial fleet, to optimize transport decarbonization.

Combining disruptive technologies, made reliable but never before assembled on a ship with such high power: the process is the same as for the first Energy Observer vessel. This new demonstrator ship, designed with leading industrial players in the energy and transport sectors, aims to accelerate concretely and radically the essential energy transition in maritime transport.

Speaking at the One Ocean Summit during the "Zero Emission Ships" forum on February 10th, Victorien Erussard will present the features, performances, and technological options chosen for this new zero-emission laboratory ship: Energy Observer 2.

Discover more in our video.

Energy Observer is delighted to count Triangle Interim Solutions RH among its official partners.

As an ambassador for hydrogen and the Sustainable Development Goals, we have identified that one of the obstacles to the development of new energies and the hydrogen society is the availability of specialised human resources trained in these technologies.

Accompanying companies in the shift to energy transition, with agility and speed, is therefore a priority objective. As a recruitment company committed to employment and on the front line of short-term industrial needs, Triangle Interim Solutions RH has a key role to play. By recruiting and training temporary specialists to meet today's and tomorrow's needs, it is becoming a forerunner in this particularly tense sector.

The hydrogen sector, in particular, is booming and many professions such as maintenance technicians, pipe fitters, high-pressure specialists or electricians and automation specialists are already in high demand and lacking in available skills today, throughout Europe.

As Groupe BPCE has made the fight against climate change a core feature of its strategic plan for 2024, the partnership with Energy Observer is perfectly consistent with its ambition to be a major player in driving the energy transition.

Energy Observer is a laboratory for ecological transition designed to push back the limits of zero-emission technologies. Hydrogen, solar, wind and waterpower, all the solutions are experimented with, tested and optimized here with a view to making clean energies a practical reality that is accessible to all.

Above and beyond supporting the Energy Observer initiative as a whole, this partnership will also make it possible to launch appropriate financing tools, thereby giving a boost to the development of hydrogen technology, which is necessary for industrial decarbonization and the development of renewable energies.

In this respect, it aligns perfectly with Groupe BPCE’s goal of helping its customers meet their own transition challenges.

With a view to championing this mission, Katia Nicolet, scientific advisor for Energy Observer, and Louis-Noël Viviès, managing director will be invited by the CMA CGM group, Energy Observer's strategic partner, to speak at the UICN's World Conservation Congress in Marseille on 7 September. Similarly, Chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saadé will take advantage the Assises de l'Économie de la Mer platform to confirm the global leader of maritime transport's desire to construct a multidisciplinary consortium for tomorrow's energies. It is a sure sign that the maritime sector must play a major role alongside other protagonists involved with heavy-duty vehicles in rolling out projects that are in line with the Paris Accords, at a time when the latest report from the IPCC is encouraging us to really step things up a gear to make a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Clean, innovative and accessible maritime applications, made in France, will be presented in Cannes, St Tropez and Nice

The Energy Observer team will be present in Marseille as well as Cannes thanks to the maritime solutions developed by its subsidiary EODev, with its first application being linked to the boat HYNOVA 40, equipped with REXH2®: a technology initially validated aboard the floating laboratory Energy Observer back in 2019 and now being deployed on a boat that is accessible to all.

It is a genuine revolution in the boating world. Indeed, the HYNOVA 40 is the world’s first production model open boat approved for use as an electro-hydrogen pleasure craft using hydrogen stored aboard to propel it along silently with zero CO2, NOx or SOx emissions and no unburnt hydrocarbon.

Grande-Terre, New Caledonia, Energy Observer’s 68th stopover

Energy Observer, the first hydrogen ship to sail around the world, left Hawaii on the 20th of June and proved once again that energy autonomy is essential: 3,366 nautical miles (average speed: 5,6 knts) to cross the Pacific Ocean and reach New Caledonia. The journey took 25 days, relying only on the energy the ship can create, the hydrogen she stores and the wind in her sails.

Despite its natural resources and abundance of renewable energy sources, New Caledonia was still 97% dependant on fossil fuels in 2019, with over 5 200 000 tons of CO2 emitted per year (source: Agence Calédonienne de l’Énergie). However, the government aims to reduce the collectivity’s CO2 emissions by 35% and double the renewable energy production by 2030. Energy Observer arrives in the archipelago to investigate the actions being undertaken to reach these green goals.

As the first ship autonomous in energy, and the first French ambassador for the Sustainable Development Goals, Energy Observer explores concrete solutions and develops technologies to accelerate ecological transition. Since its launch in April 2017 in Saint Malo, and even before its departure for a zero-emission world tour, Air Liquide has been supporting this scientific and technological project by becoming an official supporter.

Energy Observer is now in a new phase of its development in which, via its subsidiary EODev (Energy Observer Developments), it provides the various maritime and port communities, but also on land applications with innovative, sustainable, reliable and accessible energy solutions, such as GEH₂® – the hydrogen power generator used during the event the "Paris de l’hydrogène" organized by Energy Observer. This zero-emission hydrogen power generator has made it possible to light up the Eiffel Tower for the very first time using certified renewable hydrogen, supplied by Air Liquide. A shared ambition and obvious synergies have naturally led Air Liquide to strengthen its commitment to the project for the next 4 years, as main partner.

Energy Observer has taken the decision to postpone its stopover in Tokyo – originally programmed during the Olympic and Paralympic Games – until the end of this year. Indeed, given the difficult health context, which is prohibiting international visitors, limiting public audiences during the events and above all leading to the cancellation of numerous events and activities on the fringes of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the appeal of Energy Observer’s stopover in the city on the dates initially scheduled has been greatly compromised.

As such, it is with the wholehearted consent of its partners, the local Japanese and French institutions, that Energy Observer has chosen to push back its Tokyo stopover until this coming December.

Provisional calendar:

• Grande Terre, New Caledonia | 16 July - 4 August
• Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea | 20 August - 12 September
• Western New Guinea, Indonesia | 16 September - 4 October
• Manila, Philippines | 14 October - 28 October
• Tokyo, Japan | 24 November - 19 December

A window on today’s sustainable energies and hydrogen mobility

Made from recycled containers from the CMA-CGM group, this exhibition unveils a timeline designed with the support and expertise of Ademe, retracing the history of energy transition, ecological awareness and the Energy Observer laboratory. Both immersive and educational, its two geodesic domes house monumental screenings together with special screens enabling the showcasing of all the different technologies aboard the laboratory vessel, their applications both at sea and on land, as well as the pioneering solutions encountered around the world through the prism of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for which Energy Observer is the primary French ambassador.

Lighting up the Eiffel Tower using zero-emission hydrogen

The highlight of this demonstration of the potential of zero-emission energies is the illumination of the Eiffel Tower with hydrogen using EODev’s electro hydrogen GEH2® generator. The latter is powered with hydrogen certified renewable by Air Liquide. Highly symbolic and a major first, the structure is all lit up in a striking blue-green hue soundtracked by an original musical composition by Jean-Benoît Dunckel (Air).

Following a stopover at Long Beach from 23 to 28 April, during which the boat played host to a number of the city’s officials, including the Consul General of France, the local harbor authorities, as well as protagonists from the hydrogen and energy industries (California Fuel Cell Partnership, Engie, Air Liquide, Toyota, CMA CGM…), pioneering ecological transition companies like Sole Technology (ETNIES, Emercia, éS and Thirty Two brands), together with students from local schools and universities, the vessel cast off from the new AltaSea campus at the entrance to the port of Long Beach.

After spending several days punching into some particularly difficult weather conditions in a bid to make headway northwards, the boat of the future slipped under the spectacular Golden Gate Bridge and finally entered San Francisco Bay, where the crew received a generous welcome from the Consul General of France in San Francisco and Lieutenant Governor of California, Eleni Kounalakis.

The Energy Observer Foundation as "Race for the Future" partner of the French team

The latest generation annual, global championship, SailGP is the first climate positive sports and entertainment property and uses its platform for good. New for Season 2, each of the eight national teams will collaborate with a Race for the Future partner to develop concrete actions for social and environmental impact.

The French team has opted to work alongside Energy Observer Foundation, which is an organisation that explores and develops solutions that prove that another future for energy is possible, an optimistic future, which is more respectful of the planet and the people who live here.

“Among the numerous projects and associations linked to the protection of the environment, the Energy Observer Foundation was most in sync with the objectives of “Race for the Future”, a factor reinforced by the obvious links with the sailing environment,” explains Thibault Laudren, Head of Operations for the France SailGP Team.

It is a prime opportunity for the crew, headed by Victorien Erussard, to document the numerous initiatives fronted by the state of California, a leader in hi-tech systems, sustainable energies and innovations for ecological transition (hydrogen and electric mobility, smart grids, carbon capture and climate risk management...).

These stopovers will showcase this quite unique laboratory vessel and in so doing share its missions with the general public, local authorities (cities of Long Beach and San Francisco), French consulates, as well as cultural and scientific protagonists like the Exploratorium of San Francisco, the SOA (Sustainable Ocean Alliance) and Energy Independence Now.

Manufacturers in the hydrogen and sustainable energies sector like California Fuel Cell Partnership will rally together around these stopovers alongside the odyssey’s partners Accor, Toyota, CMA-CGM, Air Liquide and Engie.

The Dubai World Expo will be the premiere global gathering of 2021. Expo 2020 Dubai is the first world expo to be held in the MEASA (Middle East, Africa and South Asia), and is centred around the theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”. Expo 2020 Dubai, which will be held from 1st October 2021 to 31st March 2022, brings together over 200 diverse participants — countries, organisations, companies, and academic establishments — and is expected to receive some 25 million visitors.

Today, the ambitions of these expos have moved towards international cooperation and the search for solutions to the challenges humanity faces. Over six months, every country in the world will come together in order to discuss, propose and implement practical solutions for the benefit of all humankind. In light of the ongoing health crisis this theme is no longer a symbolic proposal, but rather an urgent and critical need.

• 6 countries, 8 stopovers, one of them at the heart of Tokyo during the Olympic Games
• A film shoot in the Galapagos Islands, a Unesco biosphere reserve
• A first Transpacific passage entirely self-sufficient in energy
• The exploration of this new ‘centre of the universe’ where hydrogen lies at the heart of economic and environmental policies.

And so begins the 5th season of a 7-year Odyssey for Energy Observer, the first vessel powered with renewable energies and hydrogen. Inevitably impacted by the global pandemic, their journey around the world requires the teams to adapt to the multiple local health guidelines. In this way, Energy Observer intends to open up new avenues whilst continuing its exploration of positive energies for a brighter future.

Discover the full journey of our 2021 Odyssey in this video.

Discover the replay of the Press Conference here.

Guided by Victorien Erussard, founder of Energy Observer, the crew will visit a major scientific site: the Guiana space centre, managed by the CNES (the national centre for space studies), Energy Observer’s scientific and educational partner. Since 1964 and the decision to install a spaceport on this section of the coast between Kourou et Sinnamary, French Guiana has become an iconic site in the global mission to conquer space.

Today, space is being used to try to understand climate imbalance and monitor its evolution. In this way, European satellites of the Copernicus constellation are providing scientists the world over with the data required to model the climate and monitor the changing ecosystems and the chemical make-up of the atmosphere. From melting ice to monitoring of forest cover, the satellites observe, measure and inform us about the state of the planet.

This acquisition thus seals the first collaborations between the two companies on EODev's flagship products, the GEH2® electro-hydrogen power generator and the REXH2® range extender intended for the maritime sector. It allows EODev to strengthen the extent of its industrial partners and accelerate the deployment of its carbon-free solutions, in a context boosted by the European "Green Deal".

After the signature of an industrial partnership agreement, after the presentation of EODev's GEH2®, the first hydrogen power-generator on the industrial site of Eneria in Montlhéry mid-September, and after the announcement of the Monnoyeur Group becoming an official shareholder of EODev, the two companies are now pleased to confirm the provisions agreed on in the initial contract, i.e. the possibility for Eneria's teams to distribute EODev's GEH2®s in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, and Algeria. Furthermore, Eneria will also be able to distribute EODev's range extender REXH2®.

In addition to the fact that the GEH2®s and REXH2®s will now be jointly marketed by EODev and Eneria, and thus available in Eneria's product catalog in the countries where the company is present, this agreement also includes exclusive maintenance of the GEH2®s and REXH2®s by Eneria in collaboration with EODev's engineers, who will also provide training for both Eneria's teams and end users.

Developed from the latest generation Toyota fuel cells, the REXH2® designed by EODev is part of the industrialization of accessible hydrogen solutions for zero emissions maritime and river mobility. Thanks to hydrogen-electric hybridization combining the use of hydrogen as fuel and Alternatives Energies batteries, the system is used for both the propulsion of the boat and the operation of onboard systems.

The moment when the first electro-hydrogen "dayboat" in the world was revealed on the terrace of the 3rd deck of the Yacht Club de Monaco was quite emotional. Especially for Chloé Zaied, Managing Director of HYNOVA Yachts, but also for the EODev team, finally able to present to the public the results of the work of its engineers, after the cancellations of the Cannes and Monaco yacht shows. An event all the more significant as HSH the Sovereign Prince Albert II also wished to support with his presence the display of this innovative boat, which marks a turning point in the pursuit of low-carbon maritime mobility and sustainable yachting, challenges that are particularly close to his heart.

In the presence of HSH the Sovereign Prince Albert II, President of the YCM, five speakers presented the different opportunities of hydrogen solutions to provide yacht owners with an alternative to the use of diesel, for propulsion and / or to provide the energy necessary for hotel load, without emissions and noise.

Jérémie Lagarrigue began the conference with a few explanations on the current environmental situation, the level of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, in order to understand the importance and the emergency of the energy transition. After explaining how a fuel cell works and unveiling its installation on board Energy Observer in collaboration with Toyota, he highlighted the advantages of hydrogen over diesel but also in comparison to "all electric" systems that use only batteries. He also explained how hydrogen is a vector which makes it possible to store and transport energy, then turned into electricity, and how hydrogen is part of a strategy of ENR combinations that depend on user profiles.

For the maritime sector, Jérémie Lagarrigue demonstrated the potential and the technological, environmental and economic validity of hydrogen solutions, taking among others the example of the first electro-hydrogen tender presented by HYNOVA, a unique 12-meter boat whose propulsion was designed by EODev, and whose prototype was exhibited on the YCM terrace.

Energy transition in the yachting sector therefore offers various options, including diesel-hydrogen-electric hybrid solutions.

Ending up his presentation, Jérémie explained the issues related to the storage and delivery of hydrogen, insisting on the need to develop infrastructure and set up refuelling stations without being limited by administrative delays. It is to meet these short-term challenges that EODev created STSH2 (Station SHip H2), a floating hydrogen production and distribution platform.

The conference can watched following this link.

EODev's goal is to accelerate the ecological transition through clean, accessible, and sustainable energy solutions developed, manufactured, and implemented in France at first, but with the aim of also deploying them internationally in the future. For Jérémie Lagarrigue, its CEO, the use of hydrogen as an energy vector and energy storage solution, coupled with other renewables, is the key element of a realistic and efficient energy transition. The solution is therefore based on a multifaceted approach, combining and optimizing energy mixes according to the specific needs of end users and the renewables available locally. Whether they are industrialists, service companies, or ultimately private individuals, consumers must be able to get customized solutions, both environmentally and economically relevant.

Today, EODev announces the closing of its first round of funding, for a total amount of €20 million, thus positioning itself as one of the innovative players in the French hydrogen industry, whose growth is now a government priority.

This funding will accelerate the industrialization and commercialization of sustainable, reliable, innovative, and accessible energy solutions. EODev's products address the entire energy chain: medium-power hydrogen power generators (GEH2®); on-board hydrogen energy systems (REXH2®) for maritime and river use (propulsion and hotel load), and mobile floating hydrogen refueling stations (STSH2) for the production and distribution of green hydrogen.

Eneria, a Strategic Industrial Partnership

Specialized in the design, installation, and maintenance of turnkey power generation solutions, Eneria will bring to EODev its expertise and know-how in the field of solution packaging.

The industrial partnership between EODev and Eneria will accelerate the industrialization, deployment, and after-sales service management of the GEH2 generators.

For Eneria, this development is part of a broader ambition: providing real solutions to both energy and environmental challenges, commensurate with the issues reminded by the government in the context of the green recovery plan.

From London to Amsterdam, from Hamburg to Stockholm, from Copenhagen to St. Petersburg, to the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic, the crew is setting out to discover all the solutions that are working to safeguard life: from the agriculture of the future to clean energy, from the circular economy to mobility... Positive and concrete innovations that are already working and prove that another future is possible.

The REXH2 is a modular solution developed around Toyota's latest generation fuel cell, making silent maritime and river mobility without emissions of CO2 and fine particles possible. EODev's tailor-made application ensures the propulsion and/or operation of on-board systems using hydrogen. It has been tested in real conditions aboard Energy Observer over more than 7,000 nautical miles.

The HYNOVA 40 is a 12m boat designed by Chloé Zaied, founder and managing director of HYNOVA Yachts, which can be used as a day-boat or superyacht tender. With a capacity of 12 passengers, it is the first pleasure boat equipped with the REXH2, a zero emissions, silent and hydrogen-electric hybrid technology intended to be manufactured in series.

This rapid evolution has led her to a turning point in her history, prompting the re-examination of her brand strategy and the framework for her development over the coming years.

Energy Observer, an evolving brand

Energy Observer was launched in 2017 with the aim of being the first vessel to circumnavigate the globe entirely self-sufficiently thanks to renewable energies and hydrogen, without emitting any polluting emissions (fine particles, CO₂) or noise. This is innovation at the service of nature and the widest possible audience and it is the essence of a project that has enabled us to go further than we could ever have imagined. From becoming France’s first ambassador for Sustainable Development Goals, to producing exclusive documentary films and creating Energy Observer Developments to push the envelope with zero-emission technologies, the project is really taking on a whole new dimension. Today, the project is about so much more than a floating laboratory, indeed it is a powerful symbol of awareness.

Through its various space missions and its research activities, France’s National Centre for Space Studies is helping to combat climate change. Indeed, solely the satellites can cover the phenomena at work on a planetary scale and document more than half the key climate variables outlined by the scientific community.

Whether it is a question of the evolution in the height of the oceans, monitoring of the chemical make-up of the atmosphere or the analysis of the terrestrial biomass, satellite data plays a crucial role in our ability to better understand the evolution in the climate and the extent of its impact.

Captain Victorien Erussard and Expedition leader Jérôme Delafosse and their crew cast off from Fort-de-France last week to continue their Odyssey which will take them from the Caribbean Sea to the Amazon jungle and through to the golden triangle of biodiversity in the Pacific​.

Over the course of this two-month Odyssey, the crew – which also comprises Francine Kreiss, freediver-reporter, Katia Nicolet, a doctor in marine biology and Fitzgérald Jégo, an explorer – will film, photograph, bear witness to and decipher the remarkable ecosystems.

Thanks to the optimised synergy of her new fuel cell system developed with Toyota, her automatic wings, her new solar panels and her innovative propellers, this long passage could be completed totally self-sufficiently in terms of energy with a hither to unprecedented level of performance.

This transatlantic passage has validated the reliability of this self-sufficient mini- network of energy. So much so, that one could now confidently envisage weeks of exploration in the most remote biodiversity sites, from the Amazon rainforest to the Galapagos, even when a stopover is prohibited and the majority of boats are pinned to the dock.

That’s lockdown at sea then, albeit in complete autonomy thanks to the wind, the sun... and the features of the most common molecule in the universe: hydrogen.

All the technologies worked perfectly, the vessel’s performance demonstrating how honed its systems are.
Energy Observer is developing solutions for practical applications that respond to the challenges of tomorrow’s decentralised, inclusive, low-carbon world.

On Tuesday 21 April, the first hydrogen vessel powered by renewable energies docked in Fort-de-France (Martinique, Caribbean) after her first transatlantic passage. Setting sail from Saint-Malo, the journey of around 5,000 nautical miles took just over 30 days, during which time it was totally self-sufficient in terms of energy, with no CO2 or fine particle emissions.

Energy Observer arrived in the Canary Islands on March 25, 2020 after more than 1600 nautical miles since her departure from Saint-Malo.

Having left France before the containment measures, the crew, fortunately in good health, has of course gradually adapted to the containment measures imposed by the countries visited.

Victorien Erussard and Jérôme Delafosse were due to embark in the Canary Islands for this first ocean crossing but were forced to abandon it to preserve the health safety of their crew members.

Highlights: Tokyo during the Olympic Games, then 3 major cities within the State of California, the cradle of America’s ecological transition. Next stopover: Bound for Morocco or the Canaries according to the weather conditions.

Energy Observer, the first vessel powered by renewable energies and hydrogen, cast off this Tuesday 3 March on her epic 4-year round the world voyage. Aboard the boat on leaving Saint Malo in northern Brittany is a substantial team that includes her two historical leaders, the two captains, the ship’s engineers as well as engineers from Energy Observer Developments, who will be present to keep an eye on the setting in motion of all the innovative systems in what still promises to be a difficult sea state as far as Portugal. A boisterous introduction awaits then, but this is a key phase in the bid to make the most of a small weather window in the slew of storms sweeping across the North Atlantic in recent weeks.

On the horizon is a highly colourful 2020, which will see the French vessel cross 2 major oceans and make 9 stopovers, with its two leaders, Victorien Erussard and Jérôme Delafosse, helping to relay the Olympic flame to Japan in early July.

(Video) 2020, the Great Crossing

Energy Observer is preparing for her big 4-year round the world trip. In 2020, the first hydrogen-powered vessel to be self-sufficient in energy is set to complete the longest offshore crossings in her history, which will take her as far as Tokyo during the Olympic Games, and then on to California. Some new on-board technologies will be tested and optimised during this key stage, giving concrete expression to the project’s renewed ambition: to design, develop and now share clean energy systems.

Since Energy Observer’s launch in 2017, water of all temperatures has flowed between the hulls of this historic race boat, revamped to create a floating laboratory of clean energies. What might have seemed impossible a few years ago has become a reality rooted in the present day and amassing a series of world debuts: the first complete on-board hydrogen production system, the first self-sufficient floating smart grid with 0% polluting emissions, the first vessel to reach the Arctic without fossil fuels and be completely self-sufficient in energy.

A common ambition: zero-emission shipping

A shared challenge: to deploy hydrogen on a large scale in the shipping industry, combining the innovation of our floating laboratory with the expertise of a world leader in shipping and logistics.

The CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics and a pioneer in the field of energy transition, is joining forces with Energy Observer, the first hydrogen vessel around the world.

Adding to the successful partnership since 2017, Toyota further supports the global voyage of Energy Observer with a hydrogen maritime application. The Toyota Fuel Cell System was designed as a modular solution which can also be considered for applications in trucks, buses, marine and stationary use.

Toyota has been involved in the Energy Observer project from the start, because of hydrogen being at the very heart of this amazing journey. During a six-year odyssey, which started in 2017, the Energy Observer team is navigating the first energy-autonomous hydrogen boat around the globe.

The electrically propelled vessel of the future operates by using a mix of renewable energies and a system that produces carbon-free hydrogen from seawater.