IPC companies have been working for a long time on the deployment of solutions for the energy transition of the maritime sector and are committed to supporting the historic maritime fisheries sector. The Pilothy project of its “decarbonation” committee has just been selected by the Brittany Regional Council in response to its call for projects “Energy transition in the Breton fishing and aquaculture sectors”.
Pilothy, is led by the company Barillec, on behalf of a consortium including members of the Interprofession of the port of Concarneau (IPC): Barillec Marine, Piriou engineering, the architecture and naval studies office Coprexma, the engine manufacturer Méca Diesel, the mechanical workshop Semim and the electronics specialist Marinelec Technologies.
“This is a result of the interprofession’s previous reflections on the subject of decarbonization,” as indicated in the press release from the Brittany Regional Council. The IPC has indeed set up a working group in 2021 with the fishing shipowners to identify the relevant drivers to accelerate the decarbonization of fishing vessels. “The idea is to evaluate the feasibility of integrating an H2 fuel cell on board an existing fishing vessel with the aim of enabling the reduction of the vessel’s polluting emissions, without changing the vessel’s main activity,” the press release states.
“Pilothy will address the various constraints that currently prevent the use of hydrogen on board fishing vessels: lack of space on board, increase in volume and mass required for energy production, regulations concerning the integration on board fishing vessels, acceptance of use by professionals, etc.
The objective is to provide technical solutions, elements on the financial feasibility and a validation by a safety commission, while ensuring regular exchanges with shipowners.
The project, which is expected to last 10 months, will be structured in two phases:
– the first one integrating a concept design and a technical study,
– the second, in agreement with interested professional structures, will allow to refine the studies and to validate the concept with the competent authorities.
Pilothy is supported with 87 000 euros by the Brittany Regional Council.