A floating laboratory for ecological transition
Energy Observer is the crazy project of Victorien Erussard, skipper and former merchant navy officer who scoured the oceans and participated in a dozen transatlantic races. When it breaks down in the middle of the Atlantic due to a faulty diesel generator, something clicks: “I felt totally helpless, without energy, while around me there was only that, energy,” explains the native of Saint-Malo.
Victorien Erussard, founder of the Energy Observer © Francine Kreiss
He then came up with the idea of freeing himself from fossil fuels by exploiting renewable energy sources available in nature. Witnessing the consequences of global warming and the rapid degradation of marine ecosystems, he decided to commit to the preservation of the planet and abandoned the race for trophies to invest in research. This is how the idea of Energy Observer, which will become the first autonomous, zero-emission hydrogen ship, saw the light of day.
Jean-Baptiste Sanchez, captain of Energy Observer © Energy Observer Productions – Agathe Roullin
Seven years sailing the seas of the world
Built from a racing catamaran that had to be transformed, Energy Observer has been roaming the oceans since 2017 with, on board, a team of sailors, boatswains, engineers, researchers and reporters. This catamaran, which is unlike any other, with its photovoltaic panels and wind-powered wings, runs on a mix of renewable energies and hydrogen, produced on board from seawater.
In seven years, the eco-friendly ship has stopped in 45 countries and traveled 64,000 miles. Throughout this slow odyssey, various technologies were tested on board and multiple modifications and optimizations were made to the ship. This 88th stopover will be one of the last stages of Energy Observer’s international journey, which will return to France on June 14.
© Energy Observer Productions – Agathe Roullin.
A project that makes France shine
“Energy Observer carries the voice of France for the preservation of the planet and the large-scale development of innovative solutions”, underlines Damien Laban, acting consul general of France in New York. Energy Observer has the official support of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and is the first French ambassador of the Sustainable Development Goals established by the UN.
© Energy Observer Productions – Agathe Roullin
After a stopover in Washington DC, where it was welcomed by the French Ambassador in person, Energy Observer dropped anchor in New York on April 10, at the North Cove Marina in Battery Park City. This New York stop offers the Energy Observer team the opportunity to present the innovative solutions developed in terms of energy transition, and to meet the American public thanks to its stand during the Earth Day Festivalwhich will take place on April 14 at Union Square.
2024-04-12 15:34:44
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