Solar Impulse of the Seas – Unlimited Ocean Life

Saint-Malo, France // Dubbed the “Solar Impulse of the Seas,” the first boat to be powered solely by renewable energies and hydrogen hopes to make its own historic trip around the world. The €4.2m ($4.72 million) vessel—nicknamed the “Solar Impulse of the Seas”—aims to circumnavigate the globe using only clean power, a feat similar to Solar Impulse 2’s historic, solar-powered flight around the world that was completed this past July.

The multihulled catamaran is in a shipyard at Saint-Malo on France’s west coast, awaiting the installation of solar panels, wind turbines and electrolysis equipment, which breaks down water to produce its component elements, hydrogen and oxygen.

“We are going to be the first boat with an autonomous means of producing hydrogen,” says Frenchman Victorien Erussard, who is behind the project — confidential until now — with compatriot Jacques Delafosse, a documentary filmmaker and professional scuba diver.

The plan is for the boat’s batteries, which will feed the electric motors, to be powered in good weather by solar and wind energy, explains the 37-year-old merchant navy officer with a smile.

The boat will sail for six years around the world as a floating exhibition and clean energy laboratory, with stops in 50 countries and 101 ports of call.

The ship will also be the first in the world to produce hydrogen on board through desalination of sea water, according to ENSTA Bretagne.

All this green technology onboard will allow the boat to power itself indefinitely with emission-free energy.

As a result, the vessel’s trip will not use any carbon-emitting fossil fuels, as is the case for 96% of boats today.

There are still hurdles to overcome, not least in funding: the Energy Observer’s trip is expected to cost a minimum of €4m a year, notably to develop a travelling exhibition. But the team says it is confident of getting the funds. And once again it finds inspiration from its airplane mentor Solar Impulse — which flew around the world on renewable energy and accomplished “what everyone said was impossible,” said Mr Delafosse.