A 100% electric boat elevator
To get the boats out and into the water, we are used to dealing with the not always discreet noise of the thermal engines of the elevator. The motorized gantry crane uses fossil fuels at least for its movement. The marina of La Rochelle is experimenting with an alternative with a new fully electric boat elevator built by the Italian Boatlift.
The new equipment operates solely on batteries, both for travel and for the use of hoists. It has a capacity of 15 tons. "It has been designed to operate for 8 hours a day, which corresponds to about 15 maneuvers. During tests carried out in Italy, 44% of the battery charge remained at the end of the day," explains Bertrand Moquay, director of the La Rochelle marina.
Competitive with thermal hoists
The prototype developed by Boatlift for the port of Les Minimes represented an investment of 215 keuros for the port manager. This budget, comparable to that of a thermal model, corresponds to the manufacturer's desire for development, but if it should be slightly higher in series, it remains interesting for the operator, especially in view of the environmental and work quality gains.
"The operators had to adapt with some additional handling on the controls, but the handling speed is the same and the silence of the operations brings a real comfort of work. As for recharging, it takes less than 2 hours, without a specific terminal", says the director.
Continuing the environmental initiatives of the Port of La Rochelle
The port of Les Minimes permanently uses 2 elevators on the technical platform of Les Minimes, with a third one as back-up. A second electric elevator could therefore be ordered in the future. "After having operated it long enough, we will take stock of the situation and decide on the next change within a few years. The electric elevator is part of the La Rochelle Territory Zero Carbon project, of which the marina is a partner, with decarbonization objectives, both afloat and on land, as here. Other projects are in the works for photovoltaic panels that would eventually allow us to recharge our boat elevators with renewable and short-circuit electricity!
