Development for production electric outboard motors for commercial maritime operations

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Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK

£1,993,900

Dec. 1, 2022

March 31, 2024

This industrial research project will deliver a pure-electric outboard motor for use in commercial operations, including harbour patrols, pilot boats, coastal ferries and freight, wind farm support and offshore support vessels.

There is an urgent need to decarbonise this rapidly growing workboat sector. Achieving clean energy targets by 2030 (Net Zero Strategy, Sixth Carbon Budget) requires a radical alteration in maritime industries, which contribute 2.2% of global GHG emissions. Ecomar's products are aimed at reducing transitional friction and enhancing commercial value for operators, with products which are easily "swappable" with existing engines and which extend operational periods by use of smart electronics and component design.

The market opportunity is enormous, with major markets (EU, Asia, US) on a rapid transfer trajectory. The US Inflation Reduction Act will invest $380bn into clean energy transition technologies.

The project builds upon five years of Ecomar development of innovative designs incorporating multiple patented innovations including axial flux motors, belt drives, bespoke vessel control electronics, bespoke tilt/trim mechanisms, and heat recovery. This funding and the equity matching it will unlock will enable critical development towards post-project completion of a market ready product ready for swift commercialisation in UK, US and European markets.

The project aims to identify critical areas of operation and by incorporating research findings to enhance future high volume production methods. The project takes exiting prototype designs which are aimed at rapid decarbonisation of the commercial maritime sector and accelerating their adoption by addressing critical operational requirements.

The shift from hydrocarbon propulsion to electric will be more readily accepted if the change creates minimal operation impacts and allows incumbent agencies to retain operational profiles and efficiencies. In practise this means that the new propulsion systems need to be intuitive to use, at least as cost effective and reliable as ICE motors are. This is a difficult equation to solve and the project aims to focus on identified aspects that differentiate electric from fossil fuel motors and to bring that into the final stage design and production planning of a range of outboard motors.