25-02-2010

Zero CO2, a 12 m sailing boat, will start a 10 month journey around the Mediterranean in Spring 2010, that will emit no CO2. Is this normal for a sailing boat? Absolutely not. Wind may push these yachts forward, but they still need an auxiliary motor to manoeuvre in ports and run navigation instruments. This will be a big first in navigation as Zero CO2 will use an electric motor powered by a fuel cell using hydrogen kept on board in gas cylinders and replenished along the journey. Zero CO2, designed and built in La Rochelle, arrived in Marseille early 2010. On top of the hydrogen fuel cell, wind, photovoltaic and hydraulic energy will be used to power on board controls, comfort features and an integrated laboratory. Indeed, the yacht’s journey around the Mediterranean will enable scientists to analyse air, sea and port sediments pollution. They will also endeavour to identify the effects of fossil fuel use. In the long run, the organizers hope to develop “green hydrogen” production. Today, one of the major barriers to developing hydrogen fuel cells is linked to the production and storage of the gas. To obtain it, fossil energy must be used. Zero CO2 promoters hope that mounting windmills and photovoltaic panels on the roofs of port buildings will soon make the production of an even cleaner hydrogen possible …

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