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To reduce its carbon emissions, the Environment Agency is trialling two fully electric ‘workboats,’ with the first, the Blackwater Joule, launched at the Henley Royal Regatta.
The Environment Agency (EA) will use the RS Pulse 63 RIB for river enforcement and regular patrols to ensure all boats on the river are fully registered, as well as monitoring and maintenance along the non-tidal Thames. It says that the shift to electric power will reduce its fleet boat emissions by 50% and is part of the Zero Emission Workboat Network project that aims to deploy the world’s largest network of zero emission electric workboats.
This is a great day for us. The Blackwater Joule will allow us to quickly and cleanly patrol along the entire waterway. Many of our medium sized craft are approaching the end of their lives, so this new addition is well timed in helping us make long term decisions on the technology we should be investing in.
Together with the imminent launch of sister ship Electra in East Anglia, this means we can now trial two electric workboats free of charge for the next two years.
Lisa Craddock, a national navigation senior advisor, the Environment Agency.
The project will monitor and analyse usage data until 2028. The EA says that the outputs of these projects will help to develop the wider clean maritime sector as well as inform future policy and regulatory decisions.
We are delighted that the Environment Agency will be joining us in the Collaboration Zone at The Emergency Services Show on 16 and 17 September at the NEC in Birmingham. Register to attend here.
