Energy Observer: A seven-year odyssey comes to an end
by Energy Observer 14 Sep 2024 00:33 AEST
Energy Observer docked at the Port du Gros Caillou, in Paris' 7th arrondissement © Eric Lecocq
Energy Observer, the first zero-emission hydrogen ship to sail around the world, has docked at the Port du Gros Caillou, in Paris' 7th arrondissement, for an exceptional stopover from September 13 to October 11, 2024.
This stopover marks the end of a seven-year odyssey, a highly symbolic moment since it was here, in Paris, that this ambitious journey had begun on July 7, 2017 when she was christened.
For this occasion, Energy Observer is deploying her exhibition village to welcome the public and receive the partners of her odyssey.
A human and technological adventure
Born in 2013 from the visionary commitment of Victorien Erussard, merchant navy officer and ocean racer, the Energy Observer project represents a major step forward in demonstrating the possibilities of an ambitious energy transition, particularly in the maritime sector. Since her launch in April 2017, Energy Observer has been powered by a mix of renewable energies, wing propulsion sails and a complete hydrogen production chain using seawater electrolysis. This laboratory vessel, a genuine research and innovation platform, brings together a multidisciplinary team of sailors, engineers, scientists and journalists.
Significant achievements after seven years
This Paris stopover is an opportunity to take stock of the many achievements made. Energy Observer has covered more than 68,000 nautical miles (the equivalent of sailing three times around the world), visited 50 countries and made 101 stopovers. This voyage, enriched by numerous encounters and discoveries of innovations, demonstrated the viability of sustainable technologies in a variety of climatic and geographical conditions.
The crew interacted with scientists, industrialists, academics and public decision-makers to explore and promote decarbonization trajectories around the world. Throughout her journey, Energy Observer benefited from the unwavering support of her partners, who were determined to push back the frontiers in the development of new technologies and support the transition to a low-carbon society.
Raising public awareness
The Energy Observer adventure was shared through 13 documentary films and over 500 videos broadcast on Canal+ and YouTube, highlighting the local innovations and sustainable solutions encountered. The project raised awareness of the challenges of this transition and shared technological advances with a very diverse audience. More than 350,000 visitors (including the general public, schoolchildren, academics, etc.) visited the traveling exhibition village, and more than 20,000 people, mainly industrialists and political decision-makers, were welcomed aboard the Energy Observer. This broad awareness-raising campaign was reinforced by exceptional national and international media coverage, with over 20,000 articles and reports broadcast.
At the heart of the Energy Observer project is the desire to learn, understand and share each other's energies.
A symbolic meeting between innovation pioneers
At today's press conference, Victorien Erussard, captain and founder of Energy Observer, symbolically handed Bertrand Piccard the Solar Impulse magnetic compass, which the latter had entrusted to him on July 7, 2017, when Energy Observer was christened. This compass, a symbol of innovation for a clean and sustainable world, will now accompany Bertrand Piccard on his new project: Climate Impulse, the first hydrogen-powered flight around the world.
"It's a great pleasure to present this compass to Bertrand Piccard. He has guided us throughout our odyssey and is now setting off on a new adventure with Climate Impulse. The low-carbon technologies we have developed and tested are concrete demonstrators of the energy transition under way. They illustrate how innovation can transform mobility and steer us towards a more sustainable future. Each and every one of us is helping to pave the way towards a future that is more respectful of our planet", said Victorien Erussard.
Bertrand Piccard, explorer and Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation: "When you're a pioneer, you often move blindly into the unknown, driven by your passion and your desire to be useful to others. That's why you always need a compass in the corner of your mind. The compass I had in front of my eyes during my round-the-world flight in a solar aircraft therefore took on an additional symbolic aspect, and I wanted it to point Victorien Erussard in the right direction during his odyssey. As exploration is a state of mind that must be perpetuated, this compass will go out again in 2028 in the cockpit of Climate Impulse, the hydrogen-powered plane that Raphaël Dinelli and I will pilot around the world, before guiding, I hope, even more pioneers in their quest for a world more respectful of Nature."
A new chapter for Energy Observer
The return to France marks the start of a new era for Victorien Erussard and his team, more determined than ever to pursue their commitment to a low-carbon world. Ambitious new initiatives are unveiled, aimed at continuing the mission undertaken. Among these initiatives, the design of a new laboratory vessel, Energy Observer 3, is already under way. This demonstrator ship will experiment with synthetic fuels, high-temperature systems, co-generation and other innovative technological building blocks designed to improve the ship's energy efficiency and decarbonizing power. Each of the ship's voyages will open a new chapter of exploration and innovation, capturing striking images and intense experiences that will feed into a new documentary series entitled: "Energy, an enlightened future".
Finally, to reinforce its educational mission, Energy Observer is announcing two major projects supported by its endowment fund: the creation of a digital platform, Energy Observer Weekly, dedicated to analyzing and deciphering energy issues, and the Energy Observatory, a place for education and awareness-raising on the energy transition. The latter will become a unique cultural destination, at the crossroads of science, technology and the arts.
Energy Observer, more than a ship, a movement towards a sustainable future!
*Practical information*
The Energy Observer exhibition village at the Port du Gros Caillou, 75007 Paris, will be open to the public (free access) from September 13 to October 11, 2024, from 12pm to 7pm on weekdays and from 12pm to 8pm on weekends.
This immersive, interactive exhibition takes visitors right to the heart of the project. Visitors will be able to discover the technologies on board the vessel and meet the team behind this pioneering project.
Host partners told:
Taoufiq El Amrani, Managing Director - Compagnie des Bateaux MouchesTM: "Committed to innovation for 75 years, La Compagnie des Bateaux Mouches™ is naturally delighted to accompany Energy Observer on her incredible odyssey: She has tested and is still testing alternative energies for her boats and pontoons (hydrogen, solar, wind...), new materials, new and cleaner engines. In 2024, on the occasion of the Olympic Games, the Company put its first two electric boats into operation, a prelude to the greening of the entire fleet by 2028. Energy Observer's pioneering initiative resonates perfectly with the decarbonization strategy pursued by the Company for several years."
Antoine Berbain, Managing Director - HAROPA PORT: "HAROPA PORT is particularly pleased to welcome Energy Observer and her exhibition village to Paris, for the final stopover of her Odyssey. Already in 2017, it was in Paris that this amazing adventure was launched. In the meantime, HAROPA PORT has become the port of energy transition, putting decarbonation and new energies at the heart of its strategy. The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games have, in this respect, been a tremendous booster for the greening of the river fleet and the electrification of quays with a target of 100% of the fleet electrified by 2037!"