Successful testing of 43′ hybrid boat signals growth in collaborative efforts

A 43-foot hybrid boat developed by an award-winning collaboration between Ampcontrol, Steber International and the University of Newcastle has been successfully deployed into the Manning River near Taree, NSW on 4 May 2023.

Steve Mitchell, Ampcontrol Engineering Manager has highlighted the successful deployment as a result of the partnership between industry, government and the education sector.

“Marine technology was previously outside of our area of focus as a business, however through collaboration with Steber and the University of Newcastle, we have been able to de-risk our research and development activities in this area to pave the way in developing commercially viable hybrid diesel electric power systems for marine vessels,” said Steve.

The research and development effort received early support from the Federal Government in the form of two AusIndustry Innovation Connection grants. This funding was used to develop a smaller 22-foot prototype hybrid boat which was launched in 2021. The learnings from this work were fundamental to the development of the Hybrid Power and Propulsion system installed in the recently launched vessel.

The ongoing collaboration reached a significant milestone in the development of their latest hybrid propulsion system and highlights the dedication of the Ampcontrol, Steber International and the University of Newcastle, to advancing sustainable and efficient technologies for the maritime industry.

For more information visit ampcontrolgroup.com