If there is an area where hydrogen has its place in mobility, it is that of maritime transport.
Between Energy Observer, a racing catamaran converted into a demonstrator of the seas, which produces its hydrogen to demonstrate the possibility of energy autonomy (see our UOSP section), sea shuttles and the management of large docks to avoid pollution due to Diesel engines in the ports, without forgetting the taxis boats, hydrogen has a first choice place.
On the Seine, Cemex, a building material company, works to develop a hydrogen pusher “zero emission” to move barges of up to 2,800 tonnes between Parisian ports. Two dating points, in Ivry and Issy-les-Moulineaux, should be created for this project. Interestingly, Cemex has its own shipyard, suggesting the development of a generation of hydrogen river boats.
Under the Mirabeau bridge … fly the boats
Another remarkable innovation, the experimentation of floating taxis, or rather flying, developed by the start-up Seabubbles. Despite internal dissensions, the company wishes to direct its taxi boats to the use of hydrogen energy, instead of batteries, for a question of weight in particular, but also of autonomy and speed of load. The company works with Air Liquide (for avitaling) and Michelin (through its Symbio subsidiary, for fuel cells). These Sea Bubbles were authorized, on an experimental basis, to navigate more than 30 km/h on the Seine. Recall that these boats, with foils, give the impression of flying on the water, and therefore do not create a stir. The feat of the star-up was to give stability to these futuristic devices. Many cities would be interested in this flying taxi on the water!
