PONANT is still committed to the 2030 delivery of its Swap2Zero net zero project (CW 23 Nov 2023), Deputy Chief Executive Officer Global Business Belinda Hindmarsh has told CW.
However, the nature of what exactly will take to the seas by the end of the decade is not yet known, she conceded.
Ponant recently secured European Commission funding for Swap2Zero (CW 30 Oct) – a win that will make the business case for the project far more attractive, she enthused.
However, describing Swap2Zero (render pictured) as a nesting doll of projects, Hindmarsh admitted it is unclear what the greatest challenges will be to the ship taking to the oceans.
“There’s a lot of components to the partnership, and [it’s about] thinking about what’s going to be realistic by the time 2030 comes,” she posed.
“Is it a phased approach, where we get some of the way, maybe not net zero, but close to, and then the rest will follow as those sustainable technologies are developed as well.”
The availability of hydrogen and the ability to store it at sea are two key question marks for Swap2Zero, Hindmarsh noted, as Ponant prepares to commit to a build partner for the project.
“I think the key challenge [is] not just about the shipyard, it’s also about all of the renewable fuel and energy sources: how do you fuel it at sea, how do you get access [to it], and even if you build the vessel which has the capabilities, where can you sail?
“We need to commit very soon in terms of where we’re going to make this happen…if you’re ready in 2030, you have to know where you’re going to be sailing by 2028.
“We have multiple business cases in terms of what destinations we’re looking at, because realistically what’s going to be ready?” MS