In early June 2021, Electriq Global was hosted by Staets Riderij in Zaandem to present the project for extending the range of electrified canal boats with renewable electricity and hydrogen energy, so that navigation can be done CO2 neutrally and emissions free.
The first step, performed by Staets, was to electrify a canal boat and integrate batteries. Range extension is presently done with a diesel generator, and the PowerPack of Electriq Global will provide zero-emissions electricity to recharge the batteries and power the boat for its entire journey.
This demonstration highlights the compact and safe nature of the Electriq technology. This compact low-pressure hydrogen system is not subject to the safety restrictions of compressed hydrogen systems. The boat would operate completely on hydrogen and also meet safety, environmental and pollution requirements.
In the Netherlands there are approximately 6000 canal boats, that must be converted to zero emissions by 2025. Many industry representatives, regulators and stakeholders attended the demonstrations and learned about this new and highly pragmatic pathway to broad decarbonization and sustainability.
