Green Navy celebrates 6 months of build progress as global interest grows
by Green Navy 16 May 2024 22:28 PDT
Green Navy celebrates 6 month build progress © Green Navy
Green Navy, the French company launching 'Prometeo', Europe's first electro-hydrogen propulsion catamaran for commercial passenger activities, is experiencing a groundswell of interest since construction was announced at the 'Monaco Sustainable & Smart Marina Rendezvous 2023' in late September.
Ongoing production of 'Prometeo' is being coordinated at Merré shipyard in Nort-sur-Erdre, with the arrival of the twin hulls at Chaudronnerie Industrielle De Bretagne (CIB) in Brest this Spring. The launch for this globally important vessel will take place in Spring 2025 and Green Navy is in talks with potential operators. "As a business, Green Navy is focusing on its mission of offering a high-quality turnkey solution to shipowners and operators so that they can begin the energy transition of their fleet and of their maritime activities, without having to bear the risks associated with investment, choice of partners & design, security matters and administrative steps," explains Charles Cardi, CEO of Green Navy.
"The determination of ship owners and service operators to find solutions to carbon neutrality is super-charging innovation and investment. Professional shipowners are sharing their operational needs, allowing Green Navy to refine the quantity of energy on board and structure the balance between battery capacity and hydrogen storage to accurately determine the most efficient and cost-effective electro-hydrogen solution for their needs."
The maritime industry is increasingly looking for cleaner and more sustainable propulsion options and there is a growing demand for eco-friendly transportation. At the recent Bretagne Renewable Hydrogen online breakfast conference, the HyPorts show in Toulon, and at Hyvolution in Paris in February, the team from Green Navy shared the advantages of storing hydrogen gas on board ships and the use of fuel cells across a range of marine applications from regular island hopping, to growing eco-tourism with local governments, institutional decision-makers, and industry partners.
Green Navy is at the global forefront of energy transition to pioneer the decarbonisation of maritime transport. Offering the French maritime administration and class certification organisations, such as Bureau Veritas, an implementation and a hydrogen concept that proposes greater robustness and superior fire safety, detection and ventilation systems.
In France, several regions have committed to playing a leading role in decarbonisation by using hydrogen as a key tool. This is the case with the Région Bretagne with its renewable hydrogen roadmap to 2030, and the Région Sud with the Regional Hydrogen Plan, thus accelerating related investments towards mobility, so that the green maritime industry can develop rapidly.
"The curiosity of ship owners and operators is inspiring. Energy transition is a major subject for them and the IMO objective of reducing emissions by -40% by 2030 is on everyone's minds. It is an ambition shared by all players that form part of this societal issue," states Cardi.
"At Green Navy, it is our responsibility to provide functional technical solutions and make their task easier while they focus on running their businesses. Over the past 6 months, we have seen an exponential growth in interest in our 'Prometeo' ship and our business model. We have also been contacted by several shipyards and hydrogen ship project leaders, demonstrating a real interest from the entire industry and probing enquiries towards the work carried out by our team. Interest in the successful deployment of electro-hydrogen power to meet strict emissions regulations, public awareness, and the demand for cleaner transportation options is rapidly increasing."
Unique in the marketplace, Green Navy is the first company in Europe to implement this technology on board a commercial passenger catamaran. However, the Green Navy solution goes much further. The 'Prometeo' vessel will be available under charter contract or lease, with partner banks working on financial products to enable leasing for this first series, a world first. It is the beginning of a new sector and Cardi takes inspiration from the winning decarbonisation plan initiated by French companies in the wind-assisted propulsion sector.
As public awareness, and the demand for cleaner transportation options grows, Green Navy offers adaptable, efficient, and environmentally friendly solutions. "'Prometeo' is carbon-free, silent, vibration-free, odour-free, and easily manoeuvrable which makes it a pleasure for crews and passengers alike," says Cardi. "The vessel will also be supplied with green hydrogen to ensure a chain that is as carbon-free as possible."
This clean, green, power source generates electricity via two fuel cells which combine hydrogen with oxygen from the air to create electricity and discard only water. The electricity charges the batteries to power the vessel's electric engines. Electro-hydrogen propulsion is cleaner than diesel or other fossil fuels because it does not produce harmful emissions like CO2 or sulphur which contribute to air pollution and climate change. It is quieter and more efficient, making it better for the environment and closer to the global goal of cleaner and more sustainable transportation on water.
Green Navy's commitment to efficiency has seen the Company work closely with G-Sea Design on the ultimate precision of structural calculations. This has resulted in a lightweight catamaran with exceptional strength and rigidity - tested with wave heights of 5 meters and winds of 50 knots. Also tested in the different versions of deck arrangements, including passenger ship configuration and cargo ship configuration capable of transporting 30 tonnes of goods, or a mix of both. Based on the same 24-meter platform, these different versions of deck arrangement are part of the series logic, eco-design and industrialisation of the ship's manufacturing process, all part of Green Navy's concept to reduce the environmental footprint and costs.
Looking ahead to the next 6 months, Green Navy's next showcase will be at NAVEXPO at the end of May. Organised by the Le Bureau Naval S.A.S, Port of Lorient, this event will champion innovation within the electro-hydrogen environment and attract interest from owners and operators worldwide. Cardi has been invited to make a presentation to a specially invited audience on 30th May: "We have a clean technology vessel that is carbon-free with low energy consumption, offers full marine capacity, is made in France and is available at short notice. I encourage forward-looking people throughout the maritime industry to visit us, share our progress and feel part of this exciting voyage."
For more information visit green-navy.com.