Neptun Ozis: Bringing the St. Helena to life

From the day he was born, Neptun Ozis was seemingly destined for a life which would be deeply connected to the sea. With a name derived from Neptune, Roman God of the Sea, Neptun Ozis explained how his connection to the sea began. “When I was born”, he tells us, “My father named me after the god of the sea, because [my parents] always loved the sea and had boats.”

Neptun was born and brought up in Istanbul, Turkey, the son of Turkish designer, painter and sculptor Sadi Ozis. Neptun carries on the work of his father as an architect, specialising in the interior design of yachts. His creative mind proved instrumental in helping breathe new life into the St. Helena, Extreme E’s floating centrepiece and mobile base of operations.

We took a dive into Neptun’s world, to see how the world of interior design is helping make ships like the St. Helena greener than ever before.

St. Helena leads the way

Some of the most prominent design features of the St. Helena include its use of low-energy LED lighting, bathroom fittings which ensure low water consumption, as well as furniture made from upcycled plastic bottles collected in the Mediterranean.

“LED lights are more efficient, and require less power consumption”, Neptun says. LEDs, or light-emitting diodes are a far greener way of lighting even the darkest of ships, as they can be much smaller than conventional light-bulbs, enjoy a greater lamp life and require hardly any maintenance. The green credentials of LEDs are hard to ignore: it has been estimated that a standard LED bulb uses 90 per cent less energy than a regular incandescent bulb.

Less of the energy is wasted in its use, as standard lightbulbs can only produce a few per cent worth of energy in the form of light; the remaining 90 per cent or so of other energy used is wasted in the form of heat given off by the bulb itself. LED bulbs still generate a bit of heat themselves, but at a fraction of the amount from regular bulbs. It’s a real lightbulb moment, and allows the St. Helena’s lighting system to stay cool, just in time for the Extreme E team to reach the frosty climate that awaits them in Greenland for the Arctic X Prix.

As Neptun tells us, jobs such as designing the interior for the St. Helena are more the exception than the rule. It’s not every day that an electric racing event calls upon an interior designer to take a 30-year-old ship and redesign it for a more sustainable age. Effectively, works such as these are almost like so-called ships passing in the night. “They don’t come often, or every single day”, Neptun admits. He often finds himself working on more like five or six smaller projects otherwise, but is already opening himself up to tackle another large project again sometime soon.

One of the learnings Neptun took away from the St. Helena design was the way that they could make use of materials such as resin, which admittedly aren’t totally sustainable to create, but which are considerably more sustainable to use than timber or other traditional building materials. “I’ve learnt a lot of things, and most of them are material-based.”

“One other thing I learned is we don’t need to do something from scratch, we can upcycle instead. You can upcycle a lot of things for your future projects…When you are talking environmentally-friendly, sustainable projects, you should be very open-minded on your plans.”

Looking to the future, Neptun is concerned about the growing world population and its impact on the planet. It took almost all of human history up until the 19th century for the world population to hit one billion people for the first time. By 1960, the world population had just grown to 2.5 billion people. By 2024, it is expected to top eight billion. Simply put, the last 60 years or so have seen more humans on the planet than at any point in recorded history.

“I am pretty positive, but I don’t believe everything is going to be alright”, Neptun tells us. By the year 2100, the UN expects the population to rise to approximately 11 billion before beginning to plateau. In the meantime, this phenomenal population growth will mean tens of millions of babies being born into a world that could become more fragile and with an environment more volatile than any we have ever known as a species.

But perhaps Neptun’s general optimism will win through in the end. As noted, the world population is far more likely to plateau rather than continue growing at its current rate for an indefinite period of time. As nations grow wealthier, birth rates drop and families begin to go for closer to two children, guaranteeing the increased likelihood for a more stable population in the long-term. As someone who has a close connection to the sea, Neptun is right to be concerned about a rapidly-increasing population.

However, as time unfolds, it seems far more likely from the current projections that future generations are more likely to keep our population on a more even keel and avoid rocking the boat unnecessarily.

Neptun is one of the more behind-the-scenes contributors to the work Extreme E has been doing to make a difference in recent months and years. The St. Helena is an invaluable tool to not only convey the Extreme E team from destination to destination, but it also serves as a symbol of how even the most gas-guzzling of old ships can be given a new lease of life.

Neptun’s work is presented in a way which ensures that the St. Helena will be an example for other ships to emulate, in making travel across the big blue oceans much greener.

To read more stories like this, check out https://voltafuturepositive.com/extreme-e/

Extreme E:

Julia Fry, Head of Communications 
E: media@extreme-e.com / T: +44 7778 108754

Carla Corbet, MPA Creative:     
E: carla.corbet@mpacreative.com / T: +44 7944 077440

Diego Bustos, BE Mass Media (Latin America -including Brazil-, US Hispanics, Spain, Portugal)
E: diego.bustos@bemassmedia.com / +569-8829-9138 or +1-660-847-4645

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Extreme E:

Extreme E is a radical new racing series, which will see electric SUVs competing in extreme environments around the world which have already been damaged or affected by climate and environmental issues. The five-race global voyage highlights the impact of climate change and human interference in some of the world’s most remote locations and promotes the adoption of electric vehicles in the quest for a lower carbon future for the planet.  

To minimise local impact, Extreme E races will not be open to spectators, with fans instead invited to follow the action through live TV broadcast, and on social media. 

The St. Helena, a former passenger cargo ship, has undergone a multi-million Euro refit to minimise emissions and transform her into Extreme E’s operations hub. The ship will be used to transport the championship’s freight and infrastructure, including vehicles, to the nearest port, minimising Extreme E’s footprint, as well as being used to facilitate scientific research through its on-board laboratory.

Extreme E is also pioneering hydrogen fuel cell technology which will enable its race fleet to be charged using zero emission energy. This innovative solution from AFC Energy uses water and sun to generate hydrogen power. Not only will this process emit no greenhouse emissions, its only by-product will be water, which will be utilised elsewhere on-site. 

Season 1 Calendar: 

Desert X Prix: AlUla, Saudi Arabia
3-4 April 2021
Ocean X Prix: Lac Rose, Senegal 
29-30 May 2021
Arctic X Prix: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland 
28-29 August 2021
Island X Prix: Sardinia, Italy
23-24 October 2021
X Prix Location 5   
TBC

About Continental Tyres: Founding Partner and Official Tyre Partner 

Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent, and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. Continental generated preliminary sales of €37.7 billion in 2020 and currently employs more than 235,000 people in 58 countries and markets. In 2021, the company celebrates its 150th anniversary.

The Tires business area has 24 production and development locations worldwide. Continental is one of the leading tire manufacturers with more than 56,000 employees and posted preliminary sales of €10.2 billion in 2020 in this business area. Continental ranks among the technology leaders in tire production and offers a broad product range for passenger cars, commercial and special-purpose vehicles as well as two-wheelers. Through continuous investment in research and development, Continental makes a major contribution to safe, cost effective and ecologically efficient mobility. The portfolio of the Tires business area includes services for the tire trade and fleet applications, as well as digital management systems for tires.

About CBMM: Founding Supplier
CBMM is the world leading supplier of niobium products and technology. Headquartered in Brazil, with offices and subsidiaries in China, Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States. CBMM offers technical innovation to customers around the globe through a team of over 2,000 highly trained, dedicated professionals providing cutting-edge niobium products and technology to over 400 clients in around 40 countries.

About LuisaViaRoma:
Defined by the Financial Times as “A haven for directional fashion,” LUISAVIAROMA.COM is the top online luxury fashion destination with 5,000,000 visitors per month and worldwide shipping. With each new season, the website presents the collections of more than 600 established designers and young emerging talents.

About Zenith: Official Timekeeper and Founding Partner

Zenith exists to inspire individuals to pursue their dreams and make them come true – against all odds. Since its establishment in 1865, Zenith became the first watch manufacture in the modern sense of the term, and its watches have accompanied extraordinary figures that dreamt big and strived to achieve the impossible – from Louis Blériot’s history-making flight across the English Channel to Felix Baumgartner’s record-setting stratospheric free-fall jump. Zenith is also highlighting visionary and trailblazing women – past and present – by celebrating their accomplishments and creating in 2020 its first-ever collection dedicated entirely to them, Defy Midnight. 

With innovation as its guiding star, Zenith features exceptional in-house developed and manufactured movements in all its watches. Since the creation of the El Primero in 1969, the world’s first automatic chronograph calibre, Zenith has gone on to master fractions of the second with the Chronomaster Sport and its 1/10th of a second precision and the DEFY 21 with a precision of 1/100th of a second. Zenith has been shaping the future of Swiss watchmaking since 1865, accompanying those who dare to challenge themselves and break barriers. The time to reach your star is now.

About Allianz: Founding Partner and Official Insurance Partner

The Allianz Group is one of the world's leading insurers and asset managers with more than 100 million private and corporate customers in more than 70 countries. Allianz customers benefit from a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, ranging from property, life and health insurance to assistance services to credit insurance and global business insurance. Allianz is one of the world’s largest investors, managing around 790 billion euros on behalf of its insurance customers. Furthermore, our asset managers PIMCO and Allianz Global Investors manage 1.7 trillion euros of third-party assets. Thanks to our systematic integration of ecological and social criteria in our business processes and investment decisions, we are amongst the leaders in the insurance industry in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. In 2020, over 150,000 employees achieved total revenues of 140 billion euros and an operating profit of 10.8 billion euros for the group.

About Neat Burger: Official Plant-based Partner

Neat Burger is the first of its kind – the planet-friendly, plant-based, full-flavoured game-changer the world has been waiting for. The world’s first plant-based sustainable burger chain, Neat Burger offers a menu that appeals to not only those who follow plant-based diets, but anyone, meat-eaters included, who wants to eat delicious meat-free dishes that are more sustainable, healthier and ethical. The brand is backed by seven-time FIA Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton, in collaboration with hospitality organisation The Cream Group and investors, as well as UNICEF Ambassador and early backer of Beyond Meat Tommaso Chiabra.

Neat Burger opened its first site in September 2019, just off Regent Street in London, and its second and third dine-in outlets at Camden Market and Soho in 2020. Plans for global expansion across Europe, the US and Middle East are already in place for 2021 and beyond.

About EY: Official Innovation Partner

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, strategy, transaction and consulting services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients.

About INTERprotección: Official Insurance Broker

INTERprotección is composed of a group of Mexican insurance, reinsurance and surety bond brokerage companies. With global presence and recognition, INTERprotección has more than 40 years of experience in management and comprehensive risk consulting in the Mexican market. Its business model is focused on bringing the client to the forefront and offering them the best service through innovative and disruptive products, more recently with its new brand ​inter.mx,​ its insurance digital platform that is transforming the insurtech game. Follow INTERprotección on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter ​@I​NTERproteccion

About Enel X

Enel X is Enel Group’s global business line offering services that accelerate innovation and drive the energy transition. A global leader in the advanced energy solution sector, Enel X manages services such as demand response for around 6 GW of total capacity at global level and around 100 MW of storage capacity installed worldwide, as well as 195,000 electric vehicle charging points made available around the globe. Through its advanced solutions, including energy management, financial services and electric mobility, Enel X provides each partner with an intuitive, personalized ecosystem of tech platforms and consulting services, focusing on sustainability and circular economy principles in order to provide people, communities, institutions and companies with an alternative model that respects the environment and integrates technological innovation into daily life. Each solution has the power to turn decarbonization, electrification and digitalization goals into sustainable actions for everyone, in order to build a more sustainable and efficient world together.

Find out more on https://corporate.enelx.com/en and follow Enel X on its social media channels:

LinkedIn: @EnelX

Twitter: @EnelXGlobal

Facebook: @enelxglobal

Instagram: @enelxglobal

About XITE ENERGY
XITE ENERGY was founded by Oliver Bennett and Megan Jones straight out of university two years ago. XITE brings disruptive innovation within the beverage industry; a new frontier to energy drinks. Designed around functionality but with no limitations on health, XITE ENERGY uses functional ingredients that are fused together to provide a cognitive boost, combining natural flavours, natural caffeine and zero sugar.