Electrifying the Broads

The Broads is composed of 60 open water areas connected by a network of seven rivers, over 303sq.km. As a nationally significant tourist destination, it welcomed 8.18million visitors in 2019, contributing £665 million pa to the local economy.

Underpinning the local economy is the central attraction of inland waterway boating holidays for tourists visiting the area. This economy would be threatened without support to reach net zero by 2050 under the inclusion of marine carbon emissions within the 6th Carbon Budget. To protect the natural environment, the Broads Authority, as the Navigation Authority, has also set an aspiration of reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 80% by 2030, from 2018 levels.

To date, electric motors have only been deployed in significant numbers of small outboard vessels, day boats, and sailing yachts. The cruiser fleet is almost entirely fossil fuel powered, and there is not a market-ready solution for vessels that spend weeks away from their base. On the Broads alone, these vessels release an estimated 20,000 to 50,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions each year, with the added risk of environmentally toxic fuel spills. Progress towards electrifying day-hire launches is ongoing, and attention now needs to turn to larger vessels which do not rely on a daily 'back-to-base' recharging model.

In Strand 1, focussing on this ideal location for a feasibility study, Electrifying the Broads (ETB) will investigate ways to decarbonise propulsion of the worst polluting cruising vessels, including the need for recharging infrastructure. This would lead to demonstration of solutions in the next project phase showing how findings could be scaled to other inland waterways contexts.

This feasibility study will:

* Identify the most polluting vessel use case for electrification of the propulsion system and quantify emissions savings.
* Develop a costed plan for how this may be demonstrated in an operational setting, including a route-map for recharging infrastructure.
* Detail compliances with existing regulations and any regulatory barriers and recommendations from the findings.
* Add value by identifying where local marine electrification infrastructure could innovate, such as through offering road vehicle charging or to electric bikes.
* Explore innovative applications for the use case, including any associated charging vessels, to interact with local electricity networks when not required for propulsion, to benefit grid stability and add an additional revenue stream.
* Enhance know-how relating to commercial and public organisation collaboration in a whole-systems challenge affecting marine decarbonisation, economic and environmental outcomes.