Barillec Marine is to equip Vedettes de Paris river cruise boats with 100% electric propulsion motors

Barillec Marine wished to support Vedettes de Paris, who, in autumn 2021, committed to a responsible and proactive policy in the face of the challenges of climate change, with the aim of reducing its carbon impact by more than 50% by 2024 through the electrification of its fleet. The package for the first boat will be delivered to the owner in autumn 2022 and will consist of electrical power conversion cabinets, batteries, electric motors and the complete control system.

Following the technical and regulatory transformation and integration studies carried out by the Ship-ST naval architecture office, the sizing of electrical equipment, as defined by Ship-ST and Barillec Marine, must be adapted to the operational profile of the boat, its stability, and its operating constraints, which include an average of eight one-hour cruises per day, and also the strong current of the Seine during high water periods. “In concrete terms, all the energy required to propel each of the boats will be supplied by two 550 kWh battery banks. Operating autonomy over one day will be ensured by superchargers installed on pontoons, which will enable 15-minute micro-recharges during stopovers. For this project, which is part of one of the largest battery fleets installed on a river boat in France, and the first with such a large installed capacity for a cruise boat, we are working in partnership with E4V, a French manufacturer of marine certified batteries”, explains Bruno Libert, Barillec Marine company director.   “Throughout the bidding phase, we were impressed by Barillec Marine’s skills and, above all, by their ability to make proposals for this project, as they positioned themselves as a veritable technical partner,” explains Vincent Delteil, Vedettes de Paris Site Director.

With its five vessels operating in Paris from the foot of the Eiffel Tower, Vedettes de Paris is committed to being responsible in the face of the challenges of climate change and the energy transition. Thus, the switch from thermal to electric power will enable the boats to sail with zero greenhouse gas emissions and to comply with the commitments made by Vedettes de Paris in favour of the environment, in accordance with the Paris agreements. “This is a major step forward in our commitment to the planet. This project is innovative, ambitious and also daring. Faced with the challenge in question, we did not hesitate for even a moment to question our operating methods. With Barillec Marine, but also Communauté Portuaire de Paris, Voies Navigables de France et l’ADEME who made this project possible, we hope to involve all the players in the sector in this essential transformation”, underlines Marie Bozzoni, General Manager of Vedettes de Paris.