WaVeS #18: Electric boat and boating news March 15, 2024
Plugboats WAVES (Watts, Amps, Volts, Electrons) is an occasional collection of electric boat news and electric boating items that we have written about before and are updating, or items we are going to write about but are waiting for more information / developments – or items that are just tidbits you might find interesting.
In WaVeS #18, electric boat and boating news about:
- National Electric Boat Associations sign IEMA manifesto
- Cambridge Monaco Challenge racing team working with Lateral Naval Architects
- Candela P-12 hydrofoiling water taxi to operate on New Zealand lake
- Impressive lineup of exhibitors at Spanish Electric Boat Show
- San Diego gets the USA’s first electric tugboat
- New competition to stimulate eco-friendly pontoon boating
National electric boat associations sign on to IEMA
The recently formed International Electric Marine Association (IEMA) has announced the unanimous signing of its organization’s manifesto by nine leading national electric marine associations from around the world: The Electric Boat Association of Canada, The Norwegian Electric Boat Association (Norsk elbåtforening), L’Association Française pour le Bateau Electrique (AFBE), The Electric Boat Association of Greece, The India Boat Association/India Eco Boat Association (IEBA), The Swiss Association for Zero Emission Boats, The Spanish Electric Boat Association (ANBE), and The Electric Boat Association of the UK.
At the heart of the manifesto lies a commitment to collaboration, with key principles focused on fostering knowledge exchange, promoting educational outreach, driving research and development, enhancing industry representation, and addressing cultural and environmental considerations. By aligning efforts and resources, the signatories have set out their intention to accelerate the adoption of electric propulsion and sustainable technologies, influencing international policies and standards along the way.
Sue Putallaz, CEO of IEMA member Mobyfly and representative for the Swiss Association for Zero Emission Boats, added; “By fostering collaboration and driving innovation, IEMA and its Manifesto partners are paving the way for a cleaner, greener, and more efficient maritime transportation sector. As representatives of the electric and sustainable boating industries, we aim to showcase our commitment to environmental protection and promote better practices globally.”
IEMA already has 40+ corporate members comprising industry leaders from all over the world: boat builders; electric outboard, inboard and drive train manufacturers; battery suppliers; infrastructure / charging specialists; and marine certification agencies.
The organization has been confirmed to assist the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona, April 10-12, 2024, with its own satellite event. It will holding its first Annual Members Meeting and keynote presentation at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, July 1-6, 2024.
IEMA website IEMA in Plugboats
Lateral Naval Architects advising on H2O boat for Monaco Challenge
The Cambridge University Riviera Racing team, which will be participating in the 11th annual Monaco Energy Boat Challenge noted in the IEMA section above, announced that they have been working with Lateral Naval Architects to build their hydrogen fuelled catamaran.
The team says the craft is expected to reach speeds above 20 knots and use less power than a kettle. It will be competing in the Energy Class, in which the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) supplies each teams with the same design catamaran hull. The Cambridge boat is modifying the hull with hydrofoils.
Energy architecture has bee at the centre of Lateral’s recent R&D work and the company expressed their delight in sponsoring the Cambridge Team. “Alternative fuels will play a monumental part in the pursuit of net zero within the maritime industry. Lateral has a longstanding relationship with Yacht Club de Monaco, and events such as Monaco Energy Boat Challenge provide a platform for curiosity to flourish, bringing together eager minds and industry leaders to apply research into reality”.
Lateral Naval Architects Cambridge Riviera Racing Team
Monaco Energy Boat Challenge website Energy Boat Challenge in Plugboats
Candela P-12 ferry for New Zealand’s most beautiful lake
New Zealand’s Meridian Energy has signed a deal to have the Candela P-12 electric hydrofoiling ferry The new, Swedish-made Candela P-12 electric hydrofoil provide daily transport for the staff and contractors servicing the country’s largest hydro power station, Manapōuri Power Station.
The estimate is that this will save 240 tons of carbon emissions each year – equivalent to taking 52 gas/petrol cars off the road.
Lake Manapōuri is in Fjordland National Park, which in turn is part of the wider UNESCO World Heritage site, Te Wāhipounamu (Place of the Greenstone). The lake is universally regarded as one of the most beautiful in New Zealand (which has a few of them!) and was also the focus of a famous environmental conflict.
The original plans for the 850-megawatt hydroelectric Meridian power station would have raised the level of the lake by 30 meters, flooding the wooded islands and shoreline beechwood forest.
Protests were organized and in the end the plan to raise lake levels was abandoned and a strict lake guardian system was put in place. UNESCO has said the effectiveness of the system played a large role in the World Heritage Site designation.
It also played a part in Meridian choosing the Candela P-12. At a cruise speed of 25 knots, the wake behind the vessel is less than 15cm (6 in), which will minimize any potential disruption to the shoreline the protesters fought so hard to protect.
Tania Palmer, Meridian’s GM of Generation, says “The Candela P-12 is an exciting replacement for the diesel ferry we currently use to transport people across the lake to the power station. It’ll drastically reduce emissions and, at the same time, give our team what’s arguably the best and most spectacular commute in the world.”
The Candela P-12 is expected to begin operating on Lake Manapouri in 2025.
Candela website Candela in Plugboats
A new electric boat show in Valencia, Spain
A new electric boat show is being held in Valencia, Spain, from 11-14 April 2024. The four-day Valencia Electric Boat Show 2024, which will take place at the Valencia Marina, is being organised by the ANBE (National Association of Electric Boats) and the Union of Nautical Companies of the Valencian Community.
The association says the show is a ‘historic milestone’ in Spain’s sustainable boating sector. It will bring together experts, companies, associations and boating enthusiasts to explore the latest innovations in eco-efficient boating and discuss the energy transition at sea.
Confirmed exhibitors include Eco Bat (batteries), Endurance Move on (motors) on ePropulsion (motors), Lasai (boats), MedVolt Marine (boats, motors, retrofits), Navaltec (Mercury Avator dealer), Ocean Volt (motors), Silennis (boats), Touron (Mercury Avator dealer), Volta Electric Boats, WaterWorld (motors) and X Shore (boats).
A conference called ‘Sustainable boating in Spain’ will provide space for debate on the growing sustainable boating industry in Spain, and the increasing number of sustainable ports, such as the Blue Ports project of the Ports of Andalusia — another exhibitor at the event.
The Valencia Electric Boat Show will also showcase solutions and technology for port facilities designed to support the energy transition, such as fast charging stations (both for electric boats and for users of electric cars), or companies specializing in renewable energy and solar panels that make the port space more sustainable.
Tickets are available through free registration on the Valencia Electric Boat Show website.
Eco Bat Endurance Move on ePropulsion Lasai MedVolt Marine Navaltec Ocean Volt Silennis Touron Volta Electric Boats WaterWorld X Shore
San Diego welcomes USA’s first electric tugboat
eWolf, the first all-electric, ship assist harbour tugboat in the U.S., has been delivered to the Port of San Diego and is expected to start emissions-free operations in about a month.
The tug uses an ABB integrated electrical propulsion system with two 2,100-kW electric motors powered by a 6.2 megaWatt hour (mWh) battery and has thrust — also known as bollard pull – of 76.8 short tons. That is more powerful than its diesel-powered counterparts at the port.
Read about the Niagara Falls ‘Maid of the Mist’ powered with ABB systems
eWolf was built by Master Boat Builders in Alabama and designed by engineers at logistics, marine and energy solutions provider Crowley. That company was founded in 1892 by the grandfather of its current chairman when he purchased an 18-foot Whitehall rowboat to provide transportation of personnel and supplies to and from ships anchored on San Francisco Bay.
The tug boat’s electricity will come from a charging station equipped with two containerized energy storage systems provided by Corvus Energy. Battery modules in each container have storage capacity of nearly 1.5 mWh.
Commercial operations are expected to begin in mid- to late-April. It will generate 178 tons less of nitrogen oxide (NOx), 2.5 tons less of diesel particulate matter and 3,100 metric tons less of carbon dioxide (CO2) over the first 10 years of its operations – the equivalent of removing 350,000 gallons of gas from use, according to EPA calculations.
PBG PolyBoatGlobal awards for community pontooning
The PolyBoatGlobal Awards is inviting electric boatbuilders, boat owners, and boat rental companies to have fun by taking part in the new PBG challenge. The concept is designed to enrich local communities by enable ing them to take part in a year-long, very low-carbon contest with other boats all over the planet…but without ever meeting them.
The organizers say the PBG Awards “…celebrate the diverse and vibrant world of pontoon boating. From the gentle flow of electric motors to the lively hum of gasoline engines, these awards honour every splash and ripple in the quest for innovation and inclusivity on the water.”
The PBG concept was conceived by Kevin Desmond, a passionate advocate for electric boats and author of ‘Electric Boats and Ships: A History”. Recognizing the prevalence of electric boats for luxury and transportation purposes, Kevin saw an opportunity to introduce a versatile and eco-friendly alternative for a wider audience, but each on their home waters.
Each participant and aspiring winner of the PBG Awards will register on the organization’s website and come back to track which of the suggested kinds of community-oriented cruises thay have undertaken. There are 24 in all, that include on-water occasions and events like Gourmet Cruises: Wine, Beer, and Cheese Delights, Educational trips, Plastic Fishing (plishing) to protect waters, Wildlife water trails, History trips, Costume Cruises and Fleet excursions.
The PBG cruises can be logged starting on April 1st, 2024, and continuing through to March 1st, 2025. At the end of the forty-four-week period, the organizers will take every submission from all over the globe into account, and decide on the PBG Award winners for the inaugural 2024/25 season.
