Hydrogen at the Monaco Capitale du Yachting Expérience – 22th of September
On September 22nd the ‘Monaco: Capital of Yachting Experience’ held inspiring panels regarding the Superyacht Eco Association (SEA) Index and Hydrogen.
AQUON One’s ambassador Ruslan Chotchaev took part in this event and summarizes the most important results of the afternoon events.
The first panel was dedicated to the launch of the SEA Index.
This Index will become the tool allowing to assess yacht emissions based on several parameters. The panelists explained the reasoning behind the creation of such an index as that there are no benchmarks to date in the yachting industry to assess emissions. The urgent need for more sustainable moves in the yachting industry and the trending demand for sustainable solutions can no longer be dismissed.
As a result, this Index was created in the collaboration between the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM), Credit Suisse, and Nobiskrug. The SEA index aims to recognize good practice and those who perform better than average are rewarded with up to five stars, as in the hotel industry. Its ultimate goal is to become the leading rating system for air pollution. The system can be extended to other sectors, resulting in a multi-faceted sustainability index that also includes drive systems, energy recovery, chemicals, waste, and water.
The second part of the afternoon events was dedicated to Hydrogen only.
Speakers from all over the industry pitched their works and point of view on hydrogen. One of the most interesting inputs for AQUON came from HY2GEN who presented their project Sunrhyse. They are building a green hydrogen plant close to Toulon and will be ready to deliver green hydrogen to customers all over the Côte d’Azur by mid-2021. They will be delivering two and up to 800 kg per delivery at 450 bar. By 2025 they plan to have an on-site hydrogen production for maritime applications in the ports. This recognizes the need for hydrogen in the future and shows how solutions are already planned and being executed.
It is indeed noteworthy, that the leading shipyards, naval architects, and designers have confirmed that hydrogen is already suitable for specific applications in the yachting industry. It’s been a consensus among the participants that fuel cells coupled with an electrolyzer are a ready-to-go solution for the propulsion of yachts up to a certain length. This also goes for the hotel load of the yachts of any length. However, no shipyard – from the presenting ones at least – took the initiative to launch a hydrogen-fuelled yacht.
It confirms once more the unique and timely position of AQUON One on the market today, where the technology is ready and the demand for zero-emission yachting is growing.