What Is The Role Of Electric Boat Batteries In Sustainable Yachting?

The growing importance of e-mobility in the world has brought some notable developments in energy storage technology. In fact, the capacity and performance of batteries is the one single factor that could forever change the future of sustainable mobility. Batteries have become today a crucial matter for the automobile industry and public transportation. As the nautical industry witnesses the emergence of more and more electric crafts, electric boat batteries currently play an essential role in the evolution of sustainable yachting. Sustainable crafts use the battery-stored energy to power electric propulsion, house appliances on board as well as the air-conditioning system. Apart from shore supply and generator, yacht batteries can be recharged with wind generators, hydro generation and solar energy. The efficiency of batteries today depends on key factors such as their chemical composition and weight-to-energy ratio.

The power density (weight-to-power ratio) of electric boat batteries is a very important factor on board. Reduced battery weight provides for less drag. As a result, less energy is consumed by the propulsion. This brings a serious gain of both performance and autonomy. Sunreef Yachts Eco catamarans are equipped with marine lithium battery banks developed exclusively for each model within the range. Recent developments have made it possible to implement batteries of a density less than 5.2 kg per kWh. Sunreef Yachts Eco batteries are now close to 30% lighter than the average systems commonly used in the yachting world.

A peaceful, long term ownership of an electric yacht also largely depends on battery lifespan. Sunreef Yachts Eco catamarans use long-lasting batteries with a lifespan up to 10 years. After 10 years, 80% of the original capacity is maintained, making further battery use possible. Battery systems on Sunreef Yachts Eco are also always duplicated for safety.

Sunreef Yachts Eco catamarans use advanced and safe NMC chemistry (marine standard for passenger vessels) batteries with battery banks tailored to every yacht model. Depending on the model, they range from 400 to 700V with pack sizes going up to 1MW. The capacity of electric boat batteries used for Sunreef Yachts Eco allows for up to 2 days of air conditioning and house appliances use. At reduced speeds, Sunreef Yachts Eco can enjoy unlimited range. Thanks to Sunreef Yachts’ innovative solar panels covering various areas of the yacht structures, the batteries benefit from fast charging.