BlueKick: Electric Vessels Launched for Europe's Inland Waterways
Western Baltic Engineering (WBE), a Lithuanian maritime engineering company, and Belgium’s Batia Mosa Shipyard announced a strategic partnership aiming to transform European inland waterway shipping with the launch of WBE’s design electric pusher vessel series, BlueKick.
The collaboration aligns with the Shipyards’ & Maritime Equipment Association of Europe (SEA Europe)'s advocacy for the European Commission's focus on advancing the inland waterways sector.
SEA Europe has called for ambitious measures to prioritize sustainable, digital, and high-tech solutions, emphasizing the critical role of European manufacturers and shipyards. The association also highlights the importance of ensuring that European companies lead in building and retrofitting inland water vessels to maintain technological and competitive advantages within Europe.
The BlueKick series of pushers ensure zero-emission operations in ports and waterways while offering enhanced power and range capabilities.
The BlueKick series offers multiple models tailored to specific customer needs, featuring unconventional fuel capacities, including a battery pack with up to 16.4 MW of power, 12.2 kg of hydrogen, 7.83 tonnes of methanol, and 4.23 tonnes of ammonia. The vessels feature drafts ranging from 1.2 to 1.5 meters, an upstream speed of 10 km/h, and the ability to propel barges weighing up to 2,000 tonnes.
This solution aligns with the EU’s objective of transitioning freight transport to greener inland waterways. There are over 332 diesel-powered pushers on Danube alone. The BlueKick series aims to replace these aging vessels with sustainable and modern alternatives.
The sister company of Batia Mosa, Vaar Systems, will be the preferred supplier of marine battery systems for the BlueKick series. Vaar Systems is a battery technology company developing ultra-high energy density and safe battery modules and systems to electrify larger vessels.
