Energy Observer， a French venture that rolled out a self-sufficient autonomous laboratory vessel powered by renewable energy and hydrogen， is now taking a new step by launching the design for a multipurpose cargo ship fueled by liquid hydrogen.

The new ship concept is being developed by a partnership including CMA CGM， as well as the naval architecture firm LMG Marin， Ayro， Air Liquide， and Bureau Veritas， focusing on the urgent need to renew the fleets of cargo ships of about 5，000 DWT. Energy Observer said the vessel could be used on intra-continental and coastal routes， that represent an alternative to road transportation and could call at modest ports without heavy logistics. Constituting nearly 37% of the world fleet， the partnership identified these vessels as a priority segment to accelerate the transition to zero emissions.

The design envisions a 5，000 DWT vessel with a capacity of 240 TEU with 480 linear meters for trucks， vehicles， and containers. The 120m long ship will have a range of up to 4，000 nautical miles， feature 1，000 cum of liquid hydrogen capacity fuel tanks， and wind-assisted propulsion.