Magonis with Eurecat and IREC to develop hydrogen fuel cell technology

Magonis, the Barcelona based boat-builder of pure electric boats, partnered with Eurecat and IREC to develop custom hydrogen fuel cell technology for their upcoming fleet.

IREC, the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research, and Eurecat, Technology Centre of Catalonia, associated to cover the battery ecosystem for southern Europe. To improve the range of future watercrafts, while developing sustainable solutions, a natural partnership between Magonis Boats, IREC, and Eurecat emerged.

Impact of Combustion

The amount of C02 produced from a single small boat, with a 5hp combustion engine, is equivalent to 39 cars on the highway. Emissions have a serious impact on lakes, rivers, and oceans without including the additional destruction caused by oil and motor fluid leaks. In Europe alone, over 36 million people participate in regular leisure boating and at a +10% CAGR, the problem isn’t just big, but getting bigger.

Governments across Europe, where inland waterway navigation is crucial, have already created new policies and tax incentives towards green energy boats to minimize pollution and its effects on nearby cities, ecosystems, and inhabitants. Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, and Rotterdam already have ambitious plans to switch to clean-only navigation by the end of the 2020s. With greener solutions in mind, the energy sector will improve the lives of millions in the process.

With the launch of the pure electric Wave e-550, Magonis started to gain attention from the growing boat industry. Through their development of smart and efficient alternatives to traditional leisure boats, Magonis enables a full transition towards carbon-free water transport – a sector with an increased social consciousness to sustainability. Together with IREC and Eurecat, Magonis is pushing technical advancements to inspire action across the entire water transport industry.

Solutions at work

Both IREC and Eurecat have had great success in transferring their knowledge to the boating sector and now they bring their expertise to this new segment of electric mobility. With their joint research unit Battech, they gather their know-how to cover the battery value chain and bring their experience in sustainable mobility to the partnership with Magonis, thus launching a new world of possibilities for electric boats.

As said by Miquel Antonio, Technical Director at Magonis, “We’re thrilled to develop Magonis’ H2 implementation alongside the most powerful technological centers of southern Europe.”

Unlocking the full benefits of using hydrogen fuel cells

Although Magonis’ fleet is above industry standards, they are continuously investing in range extension technologies. Electric boats are currently built for day trips, but for longer cruising or island hopping, a hydrogen fuel cell range extender offers a fantastic solution. By unlocking the full benefits of using hydrogen fuel cells, the range gap between combustion and electric engines will continue shrinking.

As stated by François Jozic, CEO of Magonis, “When people think of switching from combustion to electric, they imagine tradeoffs, but we are showing the market that going electric is actually an upgrade with smart, limitless possibilities.”

This partnership initiative also contributes to Europe’s New Industrial Strategy, to the Circular Economy Action Plan, and to the Regulatory Framework for Sustainable Batteries, all of which are key actions for the European Green Deal.