Following the announcement of a €20 million fund raising two weeks ago, EODev presented, in the presence of its shareholders, its land-based hydrogen power generator and maritime range extender in operation on the industrial site of its partner and manufacturer ENERIA, on Thursday, September 17.
The products developed by the French start-up, which already has around 40 employees, meet the objectives of the “France Hydrogen plan” unveiled by the government last week.
EODev’s goal is to accelerate the ecological transition through clean, accessible, and sustainable energy solutions developed, manufactured, and implemented in France at first, but with the aim of also deploying them internationally in the future. For Jérémie Lagarrigue, it’s CEO, the use of hydrogen as an energy vector and energy storage solution, coupled with other renewables, is the key element of a realistic and efficient energy transition. The solution is therefore based on a multifaceted approach, combining and optimizing energy mixes according to the specific needs of end users and the renewables available locally. Whether they are industrialists, service companies, or ultimately private individuals, consumers must be able to get customized solutions, both environmentally and economically relevant.
As Jérémie Lagarrigue explained, hydrogen is the keystone of the energy model we are targeting, because it solves the problems of nuclear power, the intermittency of solar and wind energy, and the limitations of hybrid diesel and “all battery” technologies.
It is this practical and pragmatic dimension that explains the success of EODev’s fundraising, with both long-time partners of the Energy Observer laboratory boat and newcomers. All of them understood the approach and the validity of the concrete answers provided by EODev. It is, therefore, hardly surprising that the Accor Group, a major energy consumer with thousands of hotels around the world, has decided to invest in solutions that will reduce both its carbon footprint and its energy bill.
“Accor has been following and supporting the Energy Observer adventure for more than 5 years now. We are delighted to take together a new founding step in this amazing project. Our objective is to contribute to making the latest technologies developed by EODev accessible, to meet the economic and environmental challenges that will shape the world of tomorrow. “Sebastian Bazin, CEO of the Accor Group
To the question: “Why EODev? “Victorien Erussard, founder and captain of Energy Observer, answers simply that he and his team of engineers were able to prove, thanks to the innovations implemented and tested on board the boat, that decarbonized mobility and energy autonomy alternatives were possible, technically mature, and reliable. And since no major French industrial group was leading the way, the team decided to demonstrate the economic and ecological viability of its solutions on its own – while continuing to design other products that could be added to its range.
This approach appealed to the Monnoyeur Group, which decided to become a shareholder of EODev and to participate through its subsidiary Eneria in the industrialization of the GEH2® hydrogen power generator developed by the start-up.
Philippe Monnoyeur, CEO of the group, stated it this way: “We share with EODev the will to support the development of competitive decarbonated solutions. Our investment in EODev seals our commitment to the rapid industrialization of these solutions. With Eneria, a specialist in energy production solutions, the Monnoyeur Group is already supporting its customers in their desire to reduce their carbon footprint, and EODev’s products will naturally expand our offer.”
Thélem assurances, the third major player in this fundraising, is a long-time partner and an unwavering supporter of the Energy Observer adventure. In addition to strong common values, the two companies share a strong taste for useful innovations and a genuine commitment to civic engagement. Thélem assurances is now pursuing this commitment as a long-term investor within EODev, as its CEO, Daniel Antoni, explains: ” Our investment in EODev is the result of / was influenced by numerous factors. We have wholeheartedly supported the Energy Observer boat and all preparatory stages of EODev from the outset. We have witnessed the relevance and reliability of the technical solutions as well as the unique operational experience and commitment of the teams. As an investor, we set up an ambitious SRI policy very early and we are proud to financially support this industrial company, useful for our planet.”
Time to shift
As there is no better teacher than experience, the discovery of the GEH2® in operation on ENERIA’s site had other surprises in store! Gone are the days of hearing protections and dust masks usually worn next to a diesel generator! The time has come to give way to the noise of the (pure) water coming out of the latest generation fuel cell, supplied and integrated by Toyota, already present in its Mirai model but also in EODev’s REXH2®. The GEH2® can produce 8,000 watts of electricity continuously with no pollution, no CO2 nor fine particles emissions.
EODev’s engineers were thrilled after long months of work and short nights. As Romain Jallon, Director of Operations (i.e. technology) and one of the “serial inventors” making up the team, explains, “The energy transition is right here in front of us. All the ingredients are there, the technologies are working, reliable, mature, and are becoming economically viable. Now, to speed up that process, the only thing we need to do is to accelerate the deployment, and to make sure that the early adopters we meet, become most users. That’s what is happening today.”
What are the next steps?
Jérémie Lagarrigue immediately answered: “Starting this week in Monaco…! We are presenting , in collaboration with the HYNOVA shipyard, the first mass produced electro-hydrogen boat, a 12m tender that will allow to visit by sea the natural park of the Calanques de Cassis, a protected zone forbidden to diesel engines. It is a preview, taking place on September 22 and 23, because of the cancellations of the Cannes and Monaco boat shows, to show the integration of our technology on the boat that will displayed on the terrace of the 3rd floor of the Yacht Club de Monaco. By the end of the year, once the test period is over and the certification is completed, we will be able to invite the public to discover it and try it. This will be followed by the participation in the Tech4Islands competition organized by French Polynesia to develop on-site solutions contributing to carbon-free energy autonomy. 186 candidates, 4 categories, and EODev is among the 12 finalists. When I tell you that the transition is now…”
About GEH2®
Assembled and tested by ENERIA, with a footprint of barely four cubic meters and a limited weight, the GEH2® equipped with the latest generation of Toyota fuel cell (PAC) is today, the most compact and most efficient hydrogen power generator on the market in terms of power delivered. The development carried out by EODev’s teams allows to reach powers up to 2MVA when the generators are stacked. This modularity makes the GEH2® the ideal vector for customized hydrogen solutions for autonomous energy supply.
About EODev
EODev is a subsidiary of the Energy Observer group, an organization bringing together both expeditions and innovations, and developing solutions proving that another future, more respectful of mankind and nature, is possible. The company’s ambition is to accelerate the energy transition by offering sustainable, reliable, and accessible industrial solutions. The products and solutions developed by EODev are based on the smart and optimized use of energy mixes combining different renewable energy sources and hydrogen as a storage means. EODev’s products address the entire energy chain: medium-power hydrogen power generators (GEH2®); on-board hydrogen energy systems (REXH2®) for maritime and river use (propulsion and hotel load), and mobile floating hydrogen refueling stations (STSH2) for the production and distribution of green hydrogen. The recent fundraising carried out by EODev not only allows our company to launch the industrialization and marketing of these products, but also demonstrates the commitment of a group of entrepreneurs wishing to support the energy transition with practical solutions.
www.energy-observer-developments.com
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