HALIFAX—Oceans North is celebrating a new $250,000 commitment from Nova Scotia towards building an electric lobster vessel that will reduce emissions, improve working conditions for fishers, and position the province as a leader in an emerging industry.

“This is an important investment on the part of Nova Scotia, and it shows how climate action and economic development can go hand in hand,” says Brent Dancey, Oceans North’s director of marine climate action.

The L’Ektrikel Walipotl project is a partnership between Membertou, Allswater, BlueGrid and Oceans North to design and build Canada’s first all-electric lobster fishing vessel. In a 2023 report, Oceans North found that many of Nova Scotia’s lobster fishing vessels were good candidates for electrification, both because they operated relatively close to shore on predictable routes and because the technology already exists to make it a reality. “Batteries have come a long way,” says Rob Crutcher, president of Allswater. “It’s possible to put together an electric boat that can do a hard day’s work on the water.”

“The province’s support to build and demonstrate the first all-electric lobster boat is an important step in developing Membertou’s sustainable fishery for future generations,” says Terry Paul, Chief and CEO of Membertou. “The electric boat will play an important role in building trust in battery-electric propulsion as a viable solution for decarbonizing the Canada’s commercial fishery.”

Electric vessels could have additional benefits, as well. The lobster fleet spends much of its time idle outside of the fishing season; battery-powered boats could continue making money by storing and returning energy to the grid, providing additional income for fishers while increasing the resilience of local electricity systems. “With bi-directional charging and coastal smart grids, you can unlock the full value of the batteries for communities,” says Andrew Boswell, CEO of BlueGrid.

The design of the boat has been completed, and construction is expected to begin later this year. “With help from the province, we’re excited to bring the first generation of electric lobster vessels to life in Nova Scotia,” Dancey says.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Alex Tesar
Communications Director
Oceans North
[email protected]