Yacht Club de Monaco has unveiled the first autonomous green hydrogen pontoon in preparation for the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge (1-7 July 2024). The pontoon can fill 30 cylinders, providing green hydrogen to the race’s eight teams.

The initiative aims to position Monaco as a leader in ‘responsible yachting’ and to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Under the umbrella of the collective ‘Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting’ approach, Yacht Club de Monaco continues to escalate its efforts, leveraging technology to safeguard the environment.

“The Monaco Energy Boat Challenge was initiated 11 years ago. It’s immensely gratifying to witness our progress. Even with limited resources, we can now produce green hydrogen,” says Bernard d’Alessandri, General Secretary of Yacht Club de Monaco.

The pontoon also underscores Yacht Club de Monaco’s Corporate Social Responsibility policy, which seeks to actualise the vision of a Sovereign who believes that in the face of the climate emergency, tangible progress must replace mere promises, he adds.

The builder of the facility, SBM Offshore, has tested similar prototypes in previous editions of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, refining them over time. Weighing approximately 1.3 tonnes, this pontoon features a 20m² surface area of floating solar panels connected to batteries, enabling continuous hydrogen production day and night, with a cylinder fill time of one litre per minute.

The platform incorporates a remote control system to monitor electrolyser flow, battery charge, the heating and cooling system, as well as sensors, alarms and a dehumidifier. For the 11th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge this year, teams will have the option of 9-litre or 13-litre hydrogen cylinders. Each team is free to estimate its consumption based on its chosen power source, with the right to produce energy during the race.

“The ever growing demand for safe, sustainable, affordable energy presents one of the greatest challenges of our time. As pioneers in offshore technology, we firmly believe that the oceans hold the key to meeting the urgent need for low-carbon solutions, with hydrogen playing a crucial role,” explains Francesco Prazzo, General Manager of SBM Offshore.

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