The municipality of Heligoland in North Germany announced the first conversion of a traditional boarding boat to electric propulsion in a bid to respond to the environmental requirements of the future.
Traditional handcrafted oak boats called ‘börteboote‘, (boarding boats), have been used in Heligoland for many years to transport visitors arriving on large ships to the harbour.
Now, the municipality of Heligoland has converted the old diesel engine of the Börteboot ‘Pirat’ to a clean, quiet electric motor with lithium-ion batteries, at the Hatecke boatyard on the Lower Elbe.
Every day, large passenger ships arrive at the only German offshore island from the mainland. The boarding boats each carry up to 50 passengers from the ship to the docks, called the Helgolander Landungsbrücken.
This comes in light of a 2018 partnership between the Heligoland Boat Exchange Association and the Heligoland Landing Service, achieving recognition of the “Heligoland börteboote as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage” – an important step towards UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage.
In this regard, electric services provider Torqeedo worked closely with a local shipyard owned by Mr. Rainer Hatecke, chairman of the Association for the Preservation of Heligoland Börteboote, to design and install the integrated battery-powered electric drive.
The high-tech, 50 kW Torqeedo system provides a modern, complete prop-to-helm solution, including a 40 kWh battery with automotive technology from BMW and touchscreen display for the boat operator, the company said.
The new “Pirat” will noticeably improve the passenger experience and set an example for environmental conservation and climate protection in the tourism industry,
…said Mayor Jörg Singer.
Today there are only 11 börteboote still in service. Mr. Hatecke envisions rebuilding the börteboote fleet by using the new, emission-free vessels for tours, sightseeing, birdwatching and passenger transport between the Heligoland islands as well as their traditional boarding duties. Additional battery capacity can easily be added to the modular Deep Blue system if required for longer trips in the future.
