Company develops the world's first submarine powered by hydrogen and battery. A model fleet can reduce 27 tons of CO2 during cargo transport
In September, Grant Shapps, UK transport secretary, announced 55 winning designs in a marine green R&D competition. Among the projects was the world's first sustainable submarine. The fully automated “liquid positive” submarine was named Esmeralda 01 and is powered entirely by green hydrogen and battery power. Submarines can help clean up the oceans by collecting microplastics during cargo transport.
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Submarine fleets can reduce up to 27 tons of CO2 per year
The hydrogen-powered submarine has a three-phase microplastic filtration system. Oceanways, its developer, is preparing the project for its pilot route between Belfast, Northern Ireland and Glasgow, Scotland. According to the company, a fleet of these hydrogen submarines could guarantee savings of up to 27 tons of CO2 emissions in their cargo transport in their inaugural year alone, with a goal of reducing 300 million tons of CO2 as the fleet expands.
According to Dhruv Boruah, CEO and Founder of Oceanways, time is running out and it is imperative not to settle for just 1% more efficiency in an existing system, but instead to rethink from other sides to that innovative solutions are discovered.
According to the CEO of the company, Oceanways has assembled a world-class group to be at the forefront of SubZero, creating a new market for positive underwater cargo transport systems with zero-emission hydrogen and battery submarines as an innovative equipment to clean the ocean. and decarbonize freight transport.
Projects to clean up oceans advance and seek investment
In addition to the battery- and hydrogen-powered submarine that cleans the sea while transporting cargo, another project gaining prominence is an all-electric charging point that is connected to an offshore wind turbine.
The points will serve to supply electric boats using 100% clean energy generated by the turbine, offering potential savings of 131.100 tons of annual CO2 emissions. The equivalent of removing 62 combustion cars from the roads.
Similar to electric car charging points, these will be operated by semi-automated control, meaning sailors can anchor their ships at the wind turbine charging point and charge them.
Brazil moves forward with the use of nuclear sources in the navy
In the interior of SP, the Brazilian Navy is about to test the first submarine powered by nuclear technology, which was completely developed in national territory and is part of the project to renew the Brazilian submarine fleet.
The engine uses a technology mastered in just six countries. The entire engine is being created in full size so that it is possible to simulate the operation of the reactor and make the precise modifications before the engineers build it in the final form.
The technology will be installed in the last of five underwater vehicles being built in Rio de Janeiro. The first nuclear-powered engine is due to start operating on a submarine later this year, with deliveries expected by 2034.
