Energy Observer, the world's first boat powered by hydrogen and renewable energy, will be revealed to the world for the first time on April 14 at Saint-Malo, a port city in northern France, the birthplace of the concept that gave rise to this unique experimental boat.

Energy Observer is the first ship in the world capable of producing its own hydrogen on board from seawater and without greenhouse gas emissions.

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The specially designed boat has been in the works since 2013 with construction beginning in January 2016. The brainchild of Jérôme Delafosse and Victorien Erussard, Energy Observer was developed in collaboration with engineers from the CEA-LITEN.

Delafosse and Erussard, who both hail from Saint-Malo, will lead the Energy Observer expedition on its six year-long circumnavigation of the world that begins in 2018.

CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives) or the Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission is a French public government-funded research organization in the areas of energy, defense and security, information technologies and health technologies.

LITEN is a major European research institute and a driving force behind the development of the sustainable energy technologies of the future. The institute is spearheading the EU's efforts to limit dependency on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions

A former racing catamaran, Energy Observer will test and prove the efficiency of a full production chain that relies on the coupling of different renewable energies. It's also powered by solar and wind energy.

Energy Observer, which cost $4.72 million, will be launched later this year. Starting in early 2018, the boat will sail for six years around the world as a floating exhibition and clean energy laboratory, with stops in 50 countries and 101 ports of call.

Energy Observer attempt to circumnavigate the world using only renewable energy is a feat similar to Solar Impulse 2's historic, solar-powered flight around the world completed in July 2016.

"There is no silver bullet to fight against global warming," said Erussard.

"There are solutions, which we must learn to make work between them. This is what we do with Energy Observer: to bring together the energies of nature, but also of our society, bringing together around this boat, the know-how of companies, laboratories, start-ups and institutions."

TagsEnergy Observer, Hydrogen, Hydrogen-Powered Boat, Jérôme Delafosse, Victorien Erussard, CEA, LITEN