Wind, solar and wave energy: the first modern fuel-free vessel will embark on a 6-year cruise
Toyota has introduced the first ship in the world (after ancient sailboats) that does not require fuel. And it will move not at the expense of stretched sails, but thanks to the competent use of the energy of the sun, wind and waves.
To be honest, the ship called Energy Observer used to be an ordinary sailboat. In 1983, it was built by engineer Nigel Ayrens so that the ship could race.
At the first competitions, he was expected to overcome 500 miles in 24 hours, but after that the sailboat underwent a series of upgrades and new achievements.
Now it is a large and light catamaran — 30.5 meters long and 12.8 meters wide. At the same time, it weighs only 28 tons. The vessel was not created for cargo transportation, only instruments and necessary supplies for the crew will be on board.
The ship is able to maneuver skillfully, and it will go to sea to study the effectiveness of using sails and solar panels at different levels of sea waves.
Hydrogen will be used as a kind of fuel reserve. A ground—based electrolysis plant has been adapted for its production - salt is evaporated from the water, and after that the liquid is divided into oxygen and hydrogen.
At the same time, hydrogen remains in special tanks, from which it will be extracted as needed (which is also part of the experiment).
In order to evaluate all the pros and cons of the innovative vessel, it will embark on a 6-year journey, during which it will visit 50 countries of the world. The voyage starts next year.
Why did Toyota undertake such an expensive project? It is profitable for the company, because we are talking about prestige and the development of new technologies. And hydrogen power plants, which distinguish the vessel, are actively used in Toyota trucks.