Sustainable ship powered by seawater, renewable energy sails around the world

A sustainable ship powered by seawater and other renewable energy sources is currently sailing around the world.

Called the Energy Observer, the zero-emission ship was created as an effort to help reduce carbon emissions of the maritime industry.

The ship collects its own hydrogen fuel through electrolysis using seawater. It also functions as a mobile laboratory to explore alternative energy sources like solar, wind, and hydropower.

"What is being tested on board this laboratory vessel is clean and sustainable mobility which responds to the challenges of the energy transition," Victorien Erussard, captain and founder of the project which started in 2013.

"What we are trying to do is create a true ecosystem around our odyssey with all those who are committed on a daily basis to have a positive impact on their social environment and environment," he added.

Energy Observer is a multi-purpose cargo ship measuring 120 meters long and 24 meters wide. It can carry a deadweight of 5,000 tons.

The ship began its "Odyssey" around the world in 2017 with crew, engineers, scientists, and media on board. It is currently sailing in Asia and will soon dock in Singapore.

So far, it has travelled around 48,000 nautical miles or the equivalent of circling the globe twice. The journey will end in 2024.

Meanwhile, the design for Energy Observer 2.0 was released in February. It is expected to have a higher power capacity than the first vessel.

—MGP, GMA News