Porrima berths at Dubai Harbour on its worldwide sustainability voyage

The Swiss experimental vessel powered solely by renewables, Porrima, has made it to Dubai Harbour, as part of its Blue Odyssey journey across five continents. This is its third such journey.

The solar, wind and hydrogen-powered ship has travelled more than 11,000 kilometres without stopping since departing Osaka, Japan, on December 18, 2021.

Upon arrival at Dubai Harbour, Porrima berthed at Harbour Marina before unveiling a suite of renewable technologies that have been proven on board. It will invite people to join its ‘Blue Campus’ to learn skills and build next-generation solutions to sustainable ocean industries and resource preservation.

The project comes in response to a call to action from the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, which invites initiatives geared towards realising an ideal future society. The culmination of Porrima’s journey will see the boat arriving at its destination after a refit with 12 new technologies in time for the opening of the Expo 2025 Osaka.

Porrima – named after the Roman goddess of the future – was the first in the world to circumnavigate the globe using only solar energy under its previous name, Planet Solar. Now, using solar, wind and hydrogen, the 36-metre, 100-tonne vessel also utilises artificial intelligence and technologies. Seemingly a similar technique to lungs taking CO2 from blood is used to clean seawater, isolate and destroy microplastics.

“It is exciting to see how the intersection of technology and sustainability come together to help tackle the environmental challenges that we face today,” says Abdulla Binhabtoor of Shamal Holding, the company which owns Dubai Harbour.

“Having just concluded our role as host of the Dubai International Boat Show, we witnessed a wide range of innovative, sustainable marine technology showcased at the show, which is a testament to the UAE’s dedication to promoting and embracing eco-friendly alternatives to protect our oceans. Porrima brings sustainable mobility to the forefront, and we are committed to accelerating action to preserve a healthy planet for generations to come.”