A unique sailing boat is visiting Cape Town for the next week. The French vessel, Energy Observer, which is docked at the V&A Waterfront, is a laboratory vessel that runs solely on renewable energy. No traditional fuel, such as diesel, of any kind is used to propel it.
The ship has been at sea for six years on an around the world odyssey, spreading the message of sustainable energy development.
In a previous life, the vessel was an award-winning catamaran and in 2015 was transformed into a scientific hub. Since 2017, Energy Observer has visited more than 40 countries. Wind, solar and hydro-power are used to propel the vessel.
“We test onboard the technology in harsh conditions. Because you know
“We test onboard the technology in harsh conditions. Because you know at sea it will be salty, you have some big temperature differences, it will be wet and with the movement of the platforms. So what think if it’s possible to work on a boat it will work everywhere. That is the main the goal of our job is to test technology and the second goal is to promote the renewable energy and our hydrogen fuel,” says the captain of the Ernegy Obsever, Jean Baptise-Sanchez.
Energy is stored in the form of hydrogen which is taken from desalinated sea water which is electrolysed using solar panels. When there is no sun or wind, the stored energy is used.
To date, the vessel as covered over 100 000 kilometres at sea. It has a five person crew, including engineers. Among the conclusions drawn so far is that a combination of different types of energy is a viable solution.
Louis Noel-Vivies is Managing Director for Energy Observer Project adds:
“We just need to mix energies, mix the competencies and the skills and you know we are using a Japanese fuel cell, French software, U.S electrolyser and Canadian tanks. And we believe that if all the engineers around the world gather their knowledge we can very quickly, we can even today have very flexible durable and affordable systems,”
Unique French vessel, the Energy Observer dock in Cape Town:
In a further, more ambitious project, a cargo vessel will be developed that can run on renewable energy, proving that traditional fuel is not the only option. At each port, an educational exhibition village is set up to share knowledge and experiences from the journey.
The global odyssey is expected to end in Paris next year. For now, Cape Town is the 80th stopover.
The public is invited to come see the vessel and visit the educational village at the V&A Waterfront until 20 June. -Reporting by Micaleb Lawrence
