Based in Nantes, France and the Caribbean, Farwind develops innovative solutions to enable renewable energy to be supplied as close as possible to its point of consumption and in a form adapted to requirements.
Its energy ship technology aims to produce electricity at sea from offshore wind and transform it into hydrogen by the electrolysis of seawater.
The hydrogen can then be transported to shore to be used as a fuel, a solution particularly well suited to island territories, or ship refueling can take place at sea.
The two partners have set a goal to commission both Ponant’s Swap2Zero project – an emissions-free ship concept – and Farwind’s first energy ship at the same time by 2030.
‘An unprecedented revolutionary approach’
‘Farwind Energy’s hydrogen production technology has the advantage of offering hydrogen refueling solutions in places where there are no means of production and supply,’ explained Mathieu Petiteau, newbuilding and R&D director, Ponant.
‘This collaboration is an opportunity to jointly develop a major project that associates a ship with her own source of renewable energy produced locally. It is an unprecedented revolutionary approach that makes total sense.’
Petiteau went on to say, ‘The Swap2Zero programme is the ideal demonstrator to scale up this solution and set new standards. This technological building block will be integrated into our other areas of R&D to support our decarbonisation strategy.’
Road map
The cruise line and Farwind have created a road map to develop the production and use of renewable marine hydrogen, where they will share progress on the management of hydrogen on board and collaborate on development of first-use cases and overcoming potential technological obstacles.
Farwind Energy Chairman Arnaud Poitou said, ‘This collaboration opens up new perspectives for our highly innovative renewable energy production technology. Capable of being produced near the ship’s operating areas, our liquid hydrogen represents a promising solution to decarbonise maritime transport.’
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