Ship & Boat International eNews: January/February 2021
Piriou’s concept for a hybrid hydrogen-powered crew transfer vessel (CTV) has been approved by an offshore wind innovation initiative jointly organised by renewable energy company WPD and France’s Brittany maritime cluster.
The proposed CTV measures 27m x 9.7m and can carry 24 technicians, three crew members and 5tonnes of cargo. Propulsion would be split between a pair of 1,000kW diesel engines and twin 140kW fuel cells, for a top speed of 25knots, and the hydrogen would be stored in a 20’ container.
The ‘Innovation Challenge: Offshore Wind' initiative is spearheaded by WPD and the Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique, drawing on the support of Bretagne Ocean Power, WEAMC and France Energies Marines. As well as calling for the development of innovative, low-emission ships, the challenge is also focusing on robotics and autonomous inspection systems, wind turbine rotor imbalance detection and innovative cable anchoring solutions.
Speaking in 2019 at the launch of the initiative, the Pôle Mer stated: “With the ambition of installing 5.2GW of wind power at sea by 2028, France is today one of the most attractive countries in terms of developing marine energy projects.”
