Page 26: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2023)

HYDROGEN & RENEWABLE ENERGY

PUSHING THE

Copyright Parradee/AdobeStock

ENVELOPE:

A H2 PROJECT

HIGHLIGHTS FRENCH

TEAMWORK ON ALT-ENERGY

By Tom Ewing t the Sea Tech Week Maritime Transport con- pli? es the broad energy coalitions developing in France. These ference this past September, held in Brest, coalitions are looking for outcomes sooner, not later. Members

France, there was no shortage of big-picture, expect real world results in the next few years, not decades.

creative ideas pertaining to maritime shipping Importantly, H2 assumes a critical role within a hoped-for,

A and alternative energy. non-fossil fuel world. The European Union has numerous hy-

One such project, Seaguel, was presented as part of a larger drogen strategies and timetables. The ideas within the Seaguel discussion on hydrogen (H2) as maritime fuel. The full ses- proposal are not isolated; rather they align with creative ideas, sion was titled “Distributing Hydrogen from Offshore Wind and optimism, about H2 potentials.

Farms as a Fuel for Ships.” The topic was developed by Supporters of H2 as fuel cite important strengths. First,

France Energies Marines (FEM), a public-private R&D col- there’s an endless supply – hydrogen is everywhere. Second, laborative focused on offshore renewable energy. H2 has an established industrial track record and an estab-

Right now, Seaguel is a just a concept, but it demonstrates the lished, although more limited, energy track record. Third, if it kind of broad, transformative thinking that’s occurring in France can be produced at scale, safely and economically and with- and Europe, ideas that, yes, are still on the horizon, but consid- out greenhouse gases (so-called “green hydrogen”), the move ered advanced enough to warrant detailed thinking, and worth to H2 can take advantage, at least initially, of many existing drawing some early resources. On another level, Seaguel exem- energy resources and infrastructure, such as pipelines and 26 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • February 2023

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