Maximising green energy generation with the power of smart routing
Drift
DRIFT’s Hydrogen-generating boat promised to revolutionise renewable energy. Faculty helped make the concept a reality with a routing algorithm that helps the boat follow the most favourable winds.
Potential load factor of flotilla of DRIFT’s energy boats sailing
As effective at producing electricity as offshore wind
Boat in the world to produce hydrogen at sea using just wind
The Challenge
Renewable energy usually exists at the whims of the weather.
And that fact drastically limits the efficiency (or load factor, the average amount of energy produced as a proportion of the maximum potential capacity) of most wind and solar power solutions. What if a wind-powered energy source could follow the wind, instead of waiting for it to appear? DRIFT wanted to find out. They’d designed the world’s first foiling boat that produces and stores green hydrogen gas just by sailing – and were almost ready to test it out. There was just one thing missing. An algorithm that could help the boat find the most efficient course – and hunt down the best winds for maximum hydrogen generation – in real time.
The Solution
One boat. Three best-in-class technologies.
The best in sailing. A race-winning foiling boat design.
Light, fast, and agile, DRIFT’s 18-foot boat is capable of reaching 25 knots (46.3 km/h) at full tilt. The best of the best.
The newest tech for producing green hydrogen.
As the boat picks up speed, an underwater propeller will drive a turbine and generate electricity. The electricity can extract hydrogen from water and will be stored on the boat.
A best-in-class algorithm to plot the boat’s course.
We simulated what would happen if Faculty’s algorithm was used to help the boat plan its route, so it can generate the maximum possible energy on each outing.
“A project that started with an idea and ended with proven concept that could revolutionise green hydrogen generation for years to come”
Kayleigh Ford, Project Lead
Faculty
The Algorithm
It predicts where the wind will be strongest and how long it will last.
Our data scientists dug deep into the science of seafaring to understand which factors contribute to strong winds. Their algorithm uses data on how DRIFT’s vessels perform at sea under various weather conditions to help the boats generate the most power in the shortest time, while keeping the boats safe. The key is finding a route that avoids the worst weather and steers clear of lulls. But finding the optimum route doesn’t just mean predicting where the wind is strongest. It also means minimising the “wasted” time when the boat is at sea with a full tank of hydrogen. Instead of just chasing the wind, the algorithm plots a route that will have the boat returning to port at – ideally – the precise moment that it fills up its hydrogen tank
“Faculty were totally crucial in helping us create a new mobile renewable energy class.”
Ben Medland, Founder and CEO
DRIFT
Conclusion
A green hydrogen revolution
A green hydrogen revolution
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.
Taking the renewable energy market by storm
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.
Looking ahead
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.
“This technology is a game-changer. It proves DRIFT beats other classes of renewable energy in terms of load factor. And that means more power, more of the time and in more places. This is only the start of our partnership as we seek to make a long-term contribution to UK decarbonisation efforts."