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The world's first fully green «» catamaran set off on a six-year voyage

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The six-year world tour of Energy Observer, a solar-powered and hydrogen-powered catamaran, has started. The ship has left Paris and is heading across the English Channel to the Atlantic. Energy Observer will sail slowly around the world in 6 years, stopping at 101 ports around the world.

The captain of Energy Observer is former offshore racer Victorien Erussarda. He will skipper the ship along with expedition leader Jérome Delafosse.

Energy Observer is a modified racing catamaran of 30.5 metres in length. It is equipped with 120 square metres of solar panels and two thirty-metre-long wind turbines that power two electric motors. The electric motors are in turn powered by a seawater electrolysis and hydrogen production plant.

The catamaran is expected to run on solar and wind power during the day and on hydrogen at night.

Besides, the catamaran is equipped with a kite-sail which propels a turbine generating additional electric energy.

A team of 50 naval architects, engineers and designers worked on the boat. It took 5 million euros to rebuild the catamaran.

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