Some people can write ‘adventurer’ as a profession on their business card. This certainly applies to Victorien Erussard and Jérôme Delafosse. Before Erussard became captain of the ‘Energy Observer’, he was a cruise ship captain and competitive sailor in transatlantic solo voyages for many years. Delafosse toured the world as a documentary filmmaker. In 2017, they kicked off their adventure with the Energy Observer. The ship, which is in Antwerp near the Port House until 29 March, is a floating laboratory for sustainable energy: it makes its own hydrogen from seawater, has powerful solar panels and will soon be fitted with state-of-the-art ‘vertical wings’, or sails. The 10-member crew has left for a six-year odyssey that should take them to 50 countries and 101 stops. Last year the team sailed around the Mediterranean, now it’s northern Europe’s turn, with Antwerp as the first stop. The aim: to demonstrate that sustainable propulsion is also possible for shipping, and to raise environmental awareness and the sense of urgency around climate issues at each stop.
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