The Brittany Region has granted a subsidy of €1.5 million to Green Navy for its hydrogen-powered passenger shuttle project. Named PROMETEO, this initiative aligns with the regional roadmap for renewable hydrogen deployment, adopted in 2020. Green Navy, a company based in Finistère and a subsidiary of the Vallair Group, shares the ambitious goals of the Region in promoting clean and responsible maritime transport.
Green Navy is developing PROMETEO, its zero-emission catamaran for coastal passenger transport at its facility in La Forêt-Fouesnant, Brittany, France. Currently in its initial production phase, this vessel is equipped with optimised electric propulsion and hydrogen storage tanks. It will be offered as a bareboat charter solution and could also, in the medium term, be sold to shipowners or public authorities responsible for inter-island, urban bay crossings, or leisure sea trips.
To address the challenges of decarbonising maritime transport, Green Navy leverages its expertise in naval architecture and propulsion chain design, prioritising safety and energy efficiency. Acting as a design office, project manager, and prime contractor, Green Navy develops the concept and selects the best components and subcontractors to ensure the vessel’s reliability and performance.
The PROMETEO catamaran’s propulsion system operates using high-efficiency electric motors and optimised propellers. These motors draw energy from buffer storage batteries. The onboard hydrogen serves as a complementary energy source, with a higher capacity than that of the batteries. By combining hydrogen with oxygen from the air within two fuel cells, electricity is produced, which in turn recharges the batteries.
“This innovative setup enables Green Navy to deploy a maritime transport solution that produces no CO2 emissions during navigation, operates without noise, odour, or vibration, and offers longer range and reduced docking times” explains CEO, Charles Cardi. “As a pioneering but pragmatic company, Green Navy will test the vessel in real-world conditions, managing every phase of the project in collaboration with our partners (design, engineering, production, and testing) through to certification. This approach will generate precise and consolidated feedback that will benefit many other hydrogen-fuel project developers in Brittany’s emerging sector.”
He goes on to say that Green Navy welcomes the financial support, which propels the project to a new milestone. “It underscores the Company’s integration into the highly dynamic local maritime industry. PROMETEO meets three of the objectives outlined in the Brittany roadmap: decarbonising maritime transport, developing economic sectors related to energy transition, and adapting mobility solutions to address climate change.
