The Environment Agency is set to play a vital role in reducing carbon emissions of commercial workboats in the UK.   

The organisation has just secured four electric workboats and two charging points as part of the Zero Emission Workboat Network (ZENOW) project.

This project will deploy the world's largest network of zero emission electric workboats.  

Lisa Craddock, national navigation senior advisor for the Environment Agency said:  “We are incredibly excited to have secured this funding.

"It means we can now trial four electric workboats and two charging points, free of charge, on the River Thames and East Anglia, for the next three years.  

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"These will be the first electric boats of their kind in our fleet.  

Oxford Mail: EA Iffley Lock on the River Thames 3.jpg

“They will be used for river enforcement, monitoring and maintenance and will make a significant contribution to our pledge to reduce our fleet boat emissions by 50 per cent.

"Many of our medium-sized craft are approaching the end of their lives, so this bid is well timed in helping us make long term decisions on the technology we should be investing in."

Led by RS Electric Boats (RSE), ZENOW has just won £4.1million from the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition run by the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) and Innovate UK.    

The ZENOW project helps partners like the Environment Agency adopt zero emission commercial maritime vessels, developing technology and products to help the UK dominate the rapidly growing zero emissions sector worldwide.  

Project partners will monitor and analyse usage data until 2028.

The outputs of these projects will help to develop the wider green maritime sector as well as inform future policy and regulatory decisions.