Electric workboat company relocates to Honiton

The company is working on a project to deliver the UK's first demonstration of a fully-electric workboat and charging station

A firm making the UK's first fully electric workboat and charging station has relocated to East Devon.

Coastal Workboats Limited (CWL) will be building their new base at Honiton's Heathpark Industrial Estate, to open in 2024.

The company said the move would create 30 local jobs.

East Devon District Council (EDDC) said it was "exactly the sort of investment the district needs to help us grow our green economy... and reach net zero."

Councillor Paul Hayward, EDDC's Portfolio Holder for Economy and Assets, said he was "delighted" to welcome the company, which he said had "led the way in developing new clean and sustainable ways of powering vessels".

The new company headquarters will use solar and and ground source heating and have facilities to charge electric vehicles.

The investment has been backed by £6m from the government's Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition fund.

Electric boats already exist for leisure purposes, but the company said its project will be the first to demonstrate their commercial potential.

It is helping develop a £9m project to deliver the UK's first demonstration of a fully-electric workboat and charging station.

The purpose-built Electric Landing Utility Vessel will be demonstrated for four weeks in the Shetland Isles in a workboat capacity, running inter-island routes.

Most workboats are operated in areas with low or low grid power to support the recharging of vessels.

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