"We are no longer on an exploration vessel but on an industrial cargo ship," the former skipper, converted to green entrepreneurship, told AFP.

This future freighter will be 120 meters long, 22 wide and will have a loading capacity of 5,000 tonnes, corresponding to 240 containers or 500 linear meters of vehicle loading.

It will be fully electric and equipped with batteries.

In terms of fuel, to generate electricity, it will be equipped with liquid hydrogen tanks.

It will also have a sailing assistance.

"This type of multi-purpose ship represents 37% of the world fleet, so if we manage to demonstrate that with this technology we can transport goods with zero emissions, we potentially have the possibility of decarbonizing around a third of the world fleet," underlined Victorien Erussard.

At a cost of 80 million euros, the ship in the colors of the French flag and with futuristic lines will be able to be operated commercially for around thirty years on intra-European lines.

3D image released on February 5 by Energy Observer of the zero-emission multipurpose cargo vessel Energy Observer 2 Kadeg BOUCHER Energy Observer Productions/AFP

"It will be a boat with a technological breakthrough built in association with the best French manufacturers", boasted Mr. Erussard, assuring that it would be built in a French shipyard with partners such as the Air Liquide group or the shipowner CMA CGM.

"It is a major contribution to French industrial excellence for a transformation, in synergy with the entire ecosystem, of fleets of ships", welcomes Frédéric Moncany de Saint-Aignan, president of the maritime cluster, in a press release. French.

Maritime transport emits more than a billion tonnes of CO2 each year, the equivalent of a country like Japan, not counting the emissions of fine particles, recalls Energy Observer in its press release.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set the reduction of CO2 emissions from the sector by at least 40% by 2030 compared to 2008 and 50% by 2050.

3D image released on February 5 by Energy Observer of the zero-emission multipurpose cargo vessel Energy Observer 2 Kadeg BOUCHER Energy Observer Productions/AFP

Since its first expedition in June 2017, the "Energy Observer 1" laboratory vessel has traveled more than 48,000 nautical miles around the world, using solar energy, hydrogen produced by electrolysis from seawater, as well as automated rigid wings.

© 2022 AFP