Monaco Energy Boat Challenge Showcases AI, Hydrogen, and Toroidal Propellers Driving Maritime Decarbonization
Key Insights
The 12th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge concluded, solidifying its role as a premier global platform for advancing sustainable nautical propulsion technologies.
Key innovations highlighted included artificial intelligence for optimizing onboard energy management and significant advancements in hydrogen storage and fuel cell technologies.
Toroidal propellers re-emerged as a critical development, demonstrating their potential to reduce underwater noise pollution by 50% to 80%.
The event saw record-breaking speeds and strong collaboration between 42 international teams, over 1,000 students, and leading industry partners, accelerating the maritime energy transition.
The 12th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, concluding on July 5, 2025, in Monaco, reaffirmed its global standing as a pivotal laboratory for sustainable and clean propulsion technologies in the nautical sector. Organized by the Yacht Club de Monaco with support from key industry players and foundations, the event brought together 42 teams from 20 countries, comprising over 1,000 students and numerous industry partners, all focused on accelerating the maritime energy transition.
This year's challenge featured four distinct categories: the AI Class for autonomous boats leveraging artificial intelligence, the Energy Class testing experimental technologies on standardized hulls, the SeaLab Class focusing on hydrogen-powered solutions, and the Open Sea Class for zero-emission prototypes up to 25 meters. The competition underscored three dominant trends shaping the future of marine propulsion. Artificial intelligence demonstrated its central role in optimizing onboard energy management, particularly in real-time battery usage and charging. Concurrently, hydrogen technologies showcased significant maturity, with notable advancements in both liquid and solid-state storage solutions, alongside growing interest in hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines for retrofitting existing vessels.
A significant re-emergence was observed in toroidal propellers, which proved capable of reducing underwater noise pollution by an impressive 50% to 80%. This innovation holds crucial implications for marine ecosystems, addressing a critical environmental concern. Performance benchmarks were also shattered, with Italy's UniBoAT – University of Bologna Argonauts Team securing their fourth Energy Class victory and setting a new category speed record of 26.63 knots, a substantial increase from the previous year's 20.79 knots. In the Open Sea Class, Frauscher Boats established a new absolute speed record at 49.84 knots, showcasing the rapid progress in emission-free prototype capabilities.
The event fostered robust collaboration between academia and industry. Companies such as Monaco Marine, SBM Offshore, Sanlorenzo, and Azimut | Benetti Group actively mentored student teams, while a dedicated Job Forum facilitated over 90 interviews, connecting emerging talent with leading firms. The presence of the Energy Observer catamaran, a global symbol of energy transition, further highlighted the practical viability of entirely renewable energy and onboard-produced hydrogen, having successfully navigated over 68,000 nautical miles since 2017.
Bernard d’Alessandri, General Secretary of the Yacht Club de Monaco, emphasized the urgency: "Technologies are advancing, the ideas also, now we must speed up. We all have a role to play – institutions, manufacturers, owners – it’s time to turn intentions into actions." The Challenge concluded with international conferences addressing advanced nautical technologies and the critical need for infrastructure development to accelerate the ecological transition in boating. Monaco's sustained commitment through this event solidifies its position as a vital innovation hub, driving tangible progress towards cleaner and more sustainable maritime solutions.