The illumination of the Eiffel Tower on the evening of 25 May 2021 is so much more than a symbol of the hydrogen revolution in action, indeed it serves as proof that the solutions required to implement it already exist. It was done to coincide with an event hosted at the foot of the Eiffel Tower from 20 to 30 May 2021: “Paris pairs with hydrogen.”
Focus area
2 Raise awareness about hydrogen technologies
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Our interactive and immersive exhibition village, dedicated to ecological transition, renewable energies and hydrogen, was presented there for the first time. An event put on with the collaboration of Paris city hall, France Hydrogène and all the partners who are supporting us in the organisation of actions of general interest.
On this occasion, the Energy Observer village was surrounded for the very first time by an exceptional exhibition about hydrogen-powered mobility solutions supported by manufacturers and public protagonists involved in the energy domain. Above all it was a theatre for something truly magical and unique: the illumination of the Eiffel Tower using renewable hydrogen!
Both immersive and educational, the exhibition offered up a series of colossal screenings and slides enabling the public to discover all the latest technologies aboard our laboratory ship, their application at sea and on land, as well as solutions championed by the pioneers encountered right around the world through the prism of the 17 Sustainable Development Objectives for which Energy Observer is the primary French ambassador.
A series of practical examples of hydrogen-based mobility on land and at sea were also on display outside the village, right around the exhibition, offering a practical, optimistic and innovative perspective on tomorrow’s cities and their inhabitants, from electro-hydrogen generators, to propulsion systems and marine energy, bicycles, cars, buses, forklift trucks, articulated lorries, commercial vehicles, trains, planes and so on.
Exposition des mobilités lors du Paris de l'hydrogène © Energy Observer Productions | Mélanie de Groot van Embden
Throughout the duration of the event, our exhibition village was disconnected from the general grid and powered by electricity created by a GEH2® electro-hydrogen generator developed by EODev and the renewable hydrogen supplied by Air Liquide.
This zero-emissions, noise-free generator is equipped with the same Toyota fuel cell as the one used aboard Energy Observer. It is this same generator which enabled the Eiffel Tower to be illuminated for the first time in its history with renewable hydrogen.
In the presence of the Ile de France region, elected representatives and partners, who have supported us for a great many years, the illumination of the Eiffel Tower on the evening of 25 May certainly did the rounds of the world’s television channels. The event was also heralded across all the networks and media, as well as in the hydrogen sector, as a result of its innovative and pioneering character.
Mrs Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, honoured us with her visit. In attendance during the inauguration of our vessel in 2017, she agreed to answer our questions about the challenges of ecological transition and hydrogen. Meantime, Bruno Le Maire, Minister for Economy, Finance and Recovery, widely commented on and extolled the virtues of the illumination on his own social networks.
This event was also the theatre for educational meetings and events, with school visits followed by the publication of our series of special educational notes developed in collaboration with Universcience and aimed at teachers and their students.
In this way, 1,500 children got the chance to benefit from Paris pairs with hydrogen whilst 1,600 visitors, including a great many families, visited the exhibition during the two weekends, which were open to the general public.
The objective? For visitors to familiarise themselves with the technologies, which will form part of tomorrow’s mobility and clean energy systems.
Visite scolaire au Paris de l'hydrogène © Energy Observer Productions | Mélanie de Groot
Learn, understand, transmit, exchange and share: this free to access exhibition is a unique opportunity to dive from the laboratory ship to topics as fundamental as climate change, ecological transition, energy policies and sustainable development.