ExploMar has signed a major deal with Caverton Offshore Support Group – for 20 electric propulsion systems and a 5S energy station.
The agreement is the start of a longer-term partnership focused on rolling out electric ferry operations in Lagos, Nigeria.
The project will be a decisive step in bringing electric vessels into real-world, large-scale use, says ExploMar, deploying the technology in a challenging environment that proves the model works where demand is high and conditions are complex.
The partnership centres on the co-development of a standardised, scalable electric ferry platform purpose-built to meet the operational realities of African and emerging-market waterways.
As such, the propulsion systems will be installed on the OMIBUS EV 2.0 electric ferry powered by twin 300hp propulsion systems, delivering 600hp in total.
Shift to electric
ExploMar and Caverton have spent two years developing and testing the technology together and a prototype ferry is in use in Lagos as part of an ongoing pilot.
And the companies say early results are promising, particularly when it comes to running costs which was one of the key drivers behind the shift to electric.
“The future of Nigeria’s waterways is electric,” explained Olabode Makanjuola, chief executive officer of Caverton Offshore Support Group.
“Cities like Lagos are defined by water, yet millions of residents remain trapped in road congestion while vast waterway networks lie under utilised.
New operating model
“Conventional petrol and diesel-powered ferries are costly to operate and increasingly difficult to justify in dense urban environments.”
And he added that the partnership sets out to validate an entirely new operating model under real-world conditions, beginning with pilot operations in Lagos, one of Africa’s most demanding and complex environments.
Caverton has been building ferries in Lagos for the past five years and is now looking to scale up production, with further vessels already planned in partnership with the state government.
System reliability
“Securing this order with Caverton is a meaningful step forward in bringing high-performance electric propulsion into large-scale, real-world operation,” said Alex Dong, CEO of ExploMar.
“Africa represents one of the most important growth markets for sustainable water transport, where performance, cost efficiency and system reliability must come together.
“This partnership reflects our focus on delivering not just products, but fully integrated solutions that can be deployed, replicated and scaled.”
Alongside ferries, both companies are investigating how the same technology could be applied to other vessel types, including security and fishing boats.
