Faculty®

At the end of July 2022, during the first trial off the coast of Brightlingsea, Essex, DRIFT’s boat became the first in the world to produce and store hydrogen at sea. The boat produced six litres of green hydrogen in one two-hour test run, far exceeding results predicted during simulation. In fact, our studies show that a flotilla of DRIFT’s energy boats sailing out from Penzance could potentially achieve a load factor of 72.5%. This is a major improvement over the performance of other forms of renewable energy. Most UK offshore wind farms, on average, generate just below 40% of their potential in capacity, solar around 10%, and wave and tidal only 2.8%, due to fluctuating weather conditions.

With the first test complete, it’s time to begin the next phase: getting bigger energy boats ready for operational use. The routing algorithm is already advanced, but DRIFT are looking ahead for ways to further enhance the efficiency of the boat. That could include anything from making the predictions more accurate by bringing in more data from across the energy and climate sector, to making adjustments to the design of the boat that allow it to generate more energy. DRIFT’s ambition is for the boats to become autonomous, adjusting course automatically according to the algorithm’s predictions. This next stage is likely to involve the use of machine learning to process data from cameras, radar, and other sensors, which will allow the boat to avoid other vessels and obstacles at sea.

Bringing energy boats to the world The trial represents a major step forward in the field of renewable energy. If implemented on a wider scale, DRIFT’s boat could revolutionise green hydrogen generation – and potentially accelerate the world’s journey towards net-zero carbon emissions. DRIFT plans to continue sea trials and increase the number of energy-generating boats on the water. We’ll look to help them explore how the technology will run in bigger boats, including a 130-foot boat, within the year. This is only the beginning for DRIFT – and we’ll be there to help them chart a course towards using our beautiful oceans to protect our planet.