A naval architect in Victoria is getting $948,000 from the province’s CleanBC program to develop an electric utility catamaran for transporting people and cargo. The CleanBC advanced research and commercialization funding will allow Gregory C. Marshall Naval Architect Ltd. to design and build a high-efficiency, low-weight, 40-foot utility vessel that could be used for ferry, eco-tourism or patrol activities, the company said.
“As a local naval architecture firm, we have received numerous calls from clients interested in electrifying their next vessel,” CEO Gregory Marshall said in a statement. He said although electric propulsion remains unproven for a wide variety of maritime applications, the program will allow the firm to develop and demonstrate a zero-emission catamaran designed to take on “a wide variety of roles traditionally dominated by internal combustion engines.”
Bruce Ralston, minister of energy, mines and low-carbon innovation, said the most recent round of CleanBC advanced research and commercialization funding will benefit companies in eight sa国际传媒 municipalities, including North Vancouver’s Capilano Maritime Design Ltd., which will receive $178,000 to design a hydrogen-fuelled dinner cruise boat for use in Vancouver’s harbour.
