Ecomar launches zero-emission electric outboard
Ecomar Propulsion unveiled its new high-power, zero-emission electric outboard engine at The Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition final showcase on 24 May at Portsmouth International Port.
Ecomar Propulsion‘s new outboard range will enter full scale production next year. The company says the product will be aimed at commercial operators and incorporates a variety of innovations that make the transition to clean marine much easier and cheaper.
The new motors are 94 per cent recyclable, says Ecomar Propulsion, and provide some of the highest power outboards in the world with a maximum of 200kW (approx. 220HP) in development.
Eugene Bari, managing director Ecomar Propulsion says: “The project will rapidly electrify and de-carbonise highly polluting marine workboats. This is a major step in the move towards a sustainable marine environment. Our aim is to remove millions of tonnes of CO2 and move the workboat market away from American, Chinese and Japanese tech towards locally produced, reliable and sustainable products.
“The CMDC project has enabled us to overcome technological barriers on our journey towards creating zero-emission propulsion systems for the commercial marine sector and to engage with serious partners across the UK and abroad.”
In March 2021, the Department for Transport (DfT) launched the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC), which allocated over £23 million of research and development funding to 55 projects across the UK, supporting the design and development of zero-emission shipping technologies and greener ports. The success of these projects, which have just recently completed the programme, prompted DfT to dedicate a further £206 million to the programme, the largest investment in maritime R&D in UK history.
In December 2021, Ecomar announced the success of its application to the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Strand 2. The total project award was £1.4m. This was a joint project with The Centre for Future Clean Mobility (CFCM) at the University of Exeter, the University of Plymouth and Serco limited.
Matt Moss, maritime lead, KTN, says: “The showcase in Portsmouth puts a spotlight on how the CMDC-funded series of technology trials and feasibility studies will accelerate maritime decarbonisation. More than 200 organisations were involved in the 55 CMDC projects and they’ll all be present at the showcase, so it’s a real meeting of minds with the key players from business, government, professional institutions, research organisations and academia.”
