“We see a lot of support”

In a promising development for the maritime transportation industry, Renewable Energy Magazine reported that French company Green Navy recently announced and unveiled the “Prometeo” — a revolutionary vessel powered by an electro-hydrogen propulsion, hybrid energy system.

The catamaran is the first of its kind in Europe “to implement (electro-hydrogen) technology on board for both passengers and cargo,” according to the Green Navy website. The company also said that by replacing fuel and oil with clean energy and installing innovative technological systems that reduce energy consumption, its “lightweight” commercial vessels will be “quiet, odorless and vibration-free” with “exceptional durability” and “higher efficiency.”

Shipping cargo, an integral part of the global supply chain, is an “extremely dynamic and complex system” involving many players, ports, processes — and potential problems, according to Sinay, a technology corporation.

The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) has detailed some of the troubling environmental impacts of ocean travel: water pollution from oil spills and greywater discharges, disturbances and toxic chemicals entering undersea habitats and food chains, and the introduction of invasive alien species.

Like other traditional modes of transportation (cars, trucks and airplanes), standard shipping vessels powered by dirty energy sources emit significant amounts of nuisance air and noise pollution.

The harmful effects of pollution manifest themselves in alarming health outcomes, destruction of ecosystems, high economic costs and extreme weather conditions that displace communities and disrupt supply chains.

David Bartoletti, CEO of Green Navy collaborator SECO Marine, told Renewable Energy: “Hydrogen is a very promising energy vector… (it) provides a real answer to decarbonizing ships.”

Prometeo joins a rapidly growing range of elegant and sustainable transport solutions, including electric vehicles, hydrofoiling ships, green aviation and hyperloop infrastructure. That said, transport does not have to be complicated or high-tech: cycling, walking and public transport are economical, efficient and environmentally friendly options.

Prometeo is currently under construction and is scheduled to launch in spring 2025. “It’s a testament to the pioneering design (of the catamaran) and its commercial applications that we see a lot of support,” commented Charles Cardi, CEO of Green Navy, to Renewable Energy. “Major operators want to be at the forefront of a new future in hard-working, low-carbon, quiet, low-emission, commercially attractive transportation.”

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