In the ongoing quest to find ways to decarbonize and thus play its part in the maritime industry’s energy transition, PONANT is collaborating with the Nantes-based startup FARWIND Energy. Under study: innovative solutions for ship refueling with renewable hydrogen. PONANT’s ship program to achieve carbon neutrality when in operation and FARWIND’s energy ship program will be developed in close collaboration.

PONANT and FARWIND Energy have defined a road map to develop production and use of renewable marine hydrogen. The plan is to share progress on the management of hydrogen on board and collaborate on development of first use cases and overcoming potential technological obstacles. The two partners have set themselves a goal to be in a position to commission PONANT’s Swap2Zero project and the first energy ship at the same time by 2030.

“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. 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”, explains Mathieu Petiteau, Newbuilding and R&D Director at PONANT. “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 decarbonization strategy”

“We are proud to share our roadmap with PONANT, an innovative company committed to low carbon navigation. 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 decarbonize maritime transport,” explains Arnaud Poitou, Chairman of FARWIND Energy.

A company with a mission, based in Nantes and the Caribbean, FARWIND Energy develops cutting edge 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 be transported to shore to be used as a fuel, a solution particularly well suited to island territories, or refueling of a ship can take place at sea, helping accelerate the maritime transport industry’s energy transition.

By 2030, PONANT is working on one of the sector’s most innovative R&D projects. Swap2Zero is the first concept of a transoceanic vessel aiming to approach, as far as state-of-the-art technology will allow, carbon neutrality for its future ships, whether sailing, maneuvering, in port or at anchor. There are several steps to be taken. Wind power is at the heart of the project and low-temperature fuel cells operating on liquid hydrogen for propulsion are also being studied. The project aims to be a catalyst for new energy solutions with strong replicability potential for the rest of the industry.