PONANT, a luxury shipping company, has opted for a transoceanic vessel that supports the evolution towards carbon neutrality.
Their R&D team has devised a concept that combines six revolutionary technologies. The sailboat, which is expected to be ready by 2030, aims to be a catalyst for new energy solutions for the company and the industry as a whole.
Although PONANT has chosen to join forces with the naval architecture studio Stirling Design International, they are looking for the shipyard that will be in charge of delivering this vessel.
“By 2030, our future vessel aims to have zero greenhouse gas emissions while sailing, maneuvering, in port, or at anchor. Its carbon footprint will be reduced throughout its entire life cycle. Renewable energy supplied by wind and solar power will be combined with low-carbon, non-fossil energy from fuel cells,” explains Hervé Gastinel, CEO of PONANT.
With a hundred cabins and an overall length of 181 meters, the future ship paves the way for a new era in the maritime industry. In line with new European and international regulations on greenhouse gas emissions, PONANT is adopting an eco-design approach. This represents a major advance in shipbuilding.
The company is leading a project with great potential to accelerate the decarbonization of the shipbuilding industry, Swap2Zero, which aims to achieve zero CO2 emissions in operation, with one month of autonomy, being the first to combine six major technological blocks of decarbonization:
- A sail propulsion system and a hull that provide an average of 50% of the propulsion energy using wind power;
- A total surface area of more than 1,000 m2 of photovoltaic panels, with state-of-the-art organic solar devices integrated into the structures and sails;
- A low-temperature fuel cell that runs on liquid hydrogen for propulsion, recycling the water and heat produced;
- A high-temperature fuel cell to meet the ship's hotel cargo needs, recovering the emitted heat and using it to produce hot water;
- Onboard carbon capture technology, coupled to the high-temperature fuel cell;
- An innovative energy management system designed to control and distribute energy without generators.
The Swap2Zero project vessel is also part of the PONANT SCIENCE program, in line with the shipping company's commitment to scientists. It will host researchers dedicated to decarbonization technologies.
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