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Energy Observer Catamaran Crosses the Atlantic With Zero Emissions, High Comfort

Coming to prove that fossil fuels can be rendered obsolete with the right kind of investment in the right kind of technology, French vessel Energy Observer has been able to cross the Atlantic in a first voyage of the kind that uses only alternative energy.
Converted catamaran Energy Observer, which has just completed an emissions-free crossing of the Atlantic 6 photos
Photo: George Conty for Energy Observer Productions
Converted catamaran Energy Observer, which has just completed an emissions-free crossing of the AtlanticConverted catamaran Energy Observer, which has just completed an emissions-free crossing of the AtlanticConverted catamaran Energy Observer, which has just completed an emissions-free crossing of the AtlanticConverted catamaran Energy Observer, which has just completed an emissions-free crossing of the AtlanticConverted catamaran Energy Observer, which has just completed an emissions-free crossing of the Atlantic
Launched in 2017, Energy Observer has already traveled 23,305 nautical miles, and stopped in 25 countries, where the crew met with leading figures in the environmentally-focused industries. However, the transatlantic crossing is a first, being the first time when the catamaran covers this kind of distance on hybrid energy, as well as the first time it’s able to do so without stopping.

The ship started from Brittany, in France, on March 16, just as the entire world was about to go into full lockdown. It arrived at the Cape Verde Islands in Africa to Martinique in the Caribbean one month later, having stopped only twice. Neither of these times were the five-person crew able to leave the ship, for fear of getting infected and then be forced to abandon the journey.

Despite the long duration of the journey, the crew lacked for nothing. Using a combination of wind power, solar energy and hydrogen fuel for propulsion (thanks to a fuel cell system from Toyota, adapted from the one it uses in the Mirai), the Energy Observer was packed with provisions and “multiple robots,” which allowed the crew to enjoy “excess energy throughout the journey with unusual levels of comfort.”

The trip was uneventful, with the hybrid propulsion system working flawlessly and rendering an average speed of 6 knots. Often referred to as a “floating lab” because of the varied tech it employs, the Energy Observer has now proved that a similar system could be used for “weeks of exploration in the most remote biodiversity sites, from the Amazon rainforest to the Galapagos, even when a stopover is prohibited.”

The future is fossil-fuel-free, the team behind this converted catamaran says. Their latest trial across the Atlantic proves that.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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