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Energy Observer, the first ''Zero-Emission'' laboratory vessel powered by renewable energy and hydrogen has arrived in Kochi after a tour of South-East Asia as part of its odyssey around the world.
According to experts and scientists on board, it is the first vessel in the world capable of producing decarbonized hydrogen on board from sea water and using an energy mix, relying on renewable energies such as the sun, wind, and marine currents. The vessel is anchored at Bolgatty Palace and will be in Kochi, the only stopover in India, till November 23. It is also able to store its energy in the form of hydrogen produced from seawater - a technology that allows it to sail in total autonomy. "Around 63kg of hydrogen was produced by the vessel in the last 24 hours after its stopover at International Marina on Bolgatty island in Kochi," Beatrice Cordiano, a scientist on board the vessel, told ANI. She said that the vessel is equipped with double the requisite safety measures, including sensors to keep tabs on any change of concentration of hydrogen. "The 63 kg of hydrogen stored on board can provides 2 megawatt of electricity, i.e. the average consumption of a household of four for a month," she claimed. Having left in 2017 from its homeport Saint-Malo in France, Energy Observer has been sailing the seas ever since, for a round-the-world odyssey scheduled until 2024. Victorien Erussard, captain and founder of Energy Observer, said that the vessel was developed in France, and it has covered 45,000 nautical miles from 2017 so far with an initial cost of 6 million euros. Energy Observer is a laboratory where engineers and researchers are developing new technologies in order to make renewable energies a reality for all. "It is the key to further accelerating our energy transition since time is running out. Urgent steps are needed to demonstrate the coherence of large pilot projects and massively direct investments towards low-carbon technologies to make them accessible to all," he said. The vessel has on board five people, including its captain, a scientist, an engineer and a journalist, and Kochi is the 75th stop-over before they head off to South Africa. Kochi is the only stop-over of the vessel in India and it will stay there till November 23. Consul General of France in Pondicherry and Chennai Lise Talbot Barre said that the Vessel''s Kochi stopover came at a time when France and India were strengthening their cooperation to advance carbon neutrality and develop renewable energies. "The stopover will reinforce the synergies between French and Indian governments in the fight against climate change and opens up new opportunities for scientific and economic cooperation between the two countries," Barre said. Dr R Harikumar, the Director of the Energy Management Centre (EMC), under the Department of Power of Kerala Government said, "We are convinced that green hydrogen plays an essential role in the decarbonisation of our economy and the protection of the environment, as part of the latest amendment of the Energy Conservation Act adopted at national level." He added that they will be organizing a 3-day workshop in Kochi to support Energy Observer''s stopover, and invite the key players at the regional and federal level who are committed to the energy transition. (ANI)
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