Ponant has announced its selection for the INNOVFUND support for its Swap2Zero project, the first transoceanic ship aimed at carbon neutrality. This aid, granted by the European Commission and financed by revenue from the E.U. Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), is one of the world’s largest funding programs for the deployment of innovative low-carbon energies technologies.
This initiative has also received support from the French government and the French Public Investment Bank (BPI) as part of the CORIMER 20231 calls for expressions of interest as Ponant’s ambitions are "fully aligned with the goals set by France 2030 and the 'Green Ship' roadmap," aimed at accelerating transformations and the deployment of technological solutions within the maritime industry.
This grant validates years of research and development driven by Ponant’s R&D and New Building engineers, orchestrated by Director Mathieu Petiteau, and affirms the Swap2Zero project, which aims at zero CO2 emissions in operation with one-month autonomy, tied to six decarbonization technologies as building blocks:
- A sail power system and hull providing 50 percent of the propulsion energy using the force of the wind
- A surface area totaling nearly 10,765 square feet of eco-designed photovoltaic panels produced in France
- A low temperature fuel cell operating on liquid hydrogen for propulsion, where the water and heat produced is recycled
- A high temperature fuel cell to meet the ship’s hotel load needs, with the heat emitted being recovered and used to produce hot water
- Onboard carbon capture technology, coupled with the high temperature fuel cell
- A bespoke energy management system to control and distribute power without generators being in service
With this financial support, Ponant continues its program to have a decarbonized ship by 2030. With the Swap2Zero project’s strong replicability potential to speed up decarbonization of the shipping industry, the company also further contributes to the development of innovative solutions for more sustainable tourism.
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