Some boats are made for speed, others for luxury. Very few offer the potential for the future of green energy, but a new hydrofoil sailing catamaran could be doing just that.
Produce by start-up Drift Energy, it is the world’s first boat that can produce ‘green’ hydrogen gas while out at sea. This revolutionary energy yacht underwent a series of trials off the coast of Brightlingsea, Essex in July this year showing the world that all it needs is the power of wind to produce hydrogen.
Travelling at speeds of up to 25 knots (nearly 30 mph), the 18-foot boat uses energy from a propeller beneath the waves to drive a turbine to produce electricity. This electricity is then used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
During a two-hour test run, the vessel produced six litres (1.5 gallons) of green hydrogen. This far exceeded expectations and could have produced ten times that amount if there had been a large enough tank on board. What really sets this boat apart is an AI routing algorithm which uses data to find optimal weather conditions at sea, ensuring it’s always in the right place at the right time.
