EODev equips the 1st ocean buoy tender with a reduced footprint!

Named “Augustin Fresnel” after the French engineer famous for his work in optics, this new flagship was launched at the end of April. The APB's largest armed buoy tender, designed for maritime signaling missions in the Atlantic, has now reached Saint-Nazaire, one of its two home ports along with Le Verdon-sur-Mer.

With a length of 54 meters and a working deck of 310 m², this ocean-going buoy tender was designed by the naval architecture firm LMG Marin France and built by the Socarenam shipyard in Boulogne sur Mer, France. It features an innovative energy ecosystem, illustrating the company's strong commitment to reducing its environmental footprint.

To ensure 100% electric propulsion and zero emissions, depending on the type of mission, this ocean-going buoy tender is equipped with 720kWh of batteries powered by REXH2®, EODev's marinized hydrogen fuel cell system.

The buoy tender also features 30 m² of photovoltaic panels installed on the bridge roof, as well as a range of energy-optimizing devices: heat recovery system, intelligent management of electrical equipment, and reinforced thermal insulation, all designed with LMG Marin France and integrated by Actemium Marine System with Socarenam teams.

"For example, we have optimized the heating system by recovering heat from the engines in tanks. This hot water feeds a circuit which, in winter, heats the ship without additional energy consumption. We have also adjusted the use of certain systems to meet specific needs. These are targeted actions which, taken together, enable us to significantly reduce energy consumption. In particular, this extends the range in zero-emission mode, by limiting the strain on the batteries," explains Matthieu Gobert, President of Socarenam.

This project is part of APB's fleet modernization strategy, and marks an important step in the development of sustainable vessels. It reflects the joint commitment of all the partners in this consortium, of which EODev is a part, to the energy transition, through impact projects.

"We are proud to contribute to the decarbonization of the maritime industry, and to support players who choose hydrogen solutions like ours. The road to carbon neutrality is still a long one, but this buoy tender demonstrates the maturity and relevance of our technology, as well as its flexibility. Thanks to its “Plug & Play” functionality, the REXH2® can be easily integrated into any vessel and adapted to different energy architectures, which is one of its strengths", concludes Jérémie Lagarrigue, Managing Director of EODev