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BLUE ECONOMY AND BLUE FINANCE | 43

OPTIMISING VESSELS INNOVATING: CONTRIBUTIONS
FROM THE YOUNGER
The first panel discussion, devoted to yachting indus-
try initiatives, looked at ways of optimising vessels GENERATION
through the energy mix, as well as the crucial issues of The second panel discussion, focusing on the role
vessel end-of-life and the possibility of recycling mate- of the younger generation in the future of the yach-
rials. "The first step is to fully grasp the impact, based ting industry, addressed inspiring technical propo-
on accurate data," suggests Ollie Taylor, Associate sals, such as the development of electric or hybrid
Director of the Anthesis Group. "The impact of a vessel (hydrogen-powered) boats, with a focus on the diffe-
also influences its design and use, for instance, by as- rent types of marine propulsion, the evolution of bat-
sessing the pressure exerted on Posidonia meadows tery technologies and the shape of tomorrow's hulls,
in anchorages," says Vienna Eleuteri, founder and (eco-designed, carbon-free, foiling, and high-perfor-
vice-president of the Water Revolution Foundation. mance). The value of collaboration was central to the
Noting the need to support boat owners in this transi- discussions, which featured Bluetech projects such
tion, the speakers highlighted easy-to-use tools such as the first self-driving electric ferry in Denmark and
as the SEA Index , which aims to target yachts over 40 the alluring Blue Nomad, a floating houseboat de-
®
metres in length to assess their CO emissions. signed by young people at the Rosenberg Institute
2
in Switzerland.

THE ZERO-CARBON YACHT IN
OF THE FUTURE FIGURES
The project started in Monaco in
2019. Supported by Fondation0,
which has brought together an al- ■ 10.7 million tonnes of freight
ternative group of scientists, data cross the ocean on board 95,000 cargo ships
analysts, prototype designers, etc. each year,
with a sole mission to design a yacht ■ 3% of the world's greenhouse gases come from
with no fossil fuel on board, and no maritime transport; if the sector does not make
generator, ruling out hydrogen as any changes, emissions will rise to 17% by 2050.
an alternative from the outset. "We (sources : IMO)
wanted a radical change with 70%
energy efficiency," says Vripack's
Creative Director, Marnix Hoekstra.
What's the key? Focussing on an
inexhaustible energy trio: wind, wa- IN
ter, and solar power (thanks to the SIGHT
development of high-tech hybrid
solar panels). In addition to this
approach, the innovative nature “Young people can make a major contribution to
of the project stems from sharing global change and innovation. To achieve this,
knowledge, as Kees Jan Koester, we need to work step by step and develop
from the Fondation0, can testify: technologies for propulsion, hulls, structures,
"All the data about the project is materials and energy sources with all the
open source. If we reach a certain stakeholders in the sector”.
point, other people can continue.
Together, we can go even further." Thomas Grosjean, head of marine fuel cell
engineering at Hélion