Steber International’s head-turning electric hybrid boat will be a feature at next month’s Sanctuary Cove Boat Show on the Queensland Gold Coast.
“It’s a great opportunity to showcase Australia’s first such vessel in front of up to 50,000 expected visitors”, says General Manager, Alan Steber.
“The cabin fit-out may look sparce but this is deliberate. It will give potential buyers an opportunity to visualise an internal fit-out to suit their specific needs.
“Every Steber vessel is customised – from design to delivery”, Mr Steber said.
The boat show is being staged May 23-26 and has attracted over 300 exhibitors from across Australia and the world, with around 740 boats on display.
In November last year the prototype was unveiled at the Indo-Pacific Defence Expo staged at Darling Harbour, Sydney and again was quick to gain attention from both visitors and fellow exhibitors alike.
The hybrid diesel-electric boat is suitable for applications across defence, government and private sectors. It is power efficient, features lower CO2, NOx and carcinogenic particulate emissions and can operated with a noise reduced function, making it a more environmentally friendly option to meet most maritime needs.
The Steber 43 hybrid’s power is delivered from a combination of an onboard battery system and a standard off-the-shelf marine diesel engine which has been reconfigured to drive a high-power density electric generator.
The propulsion system comprises two water-cooled electric motors rated for 300kW continuous power each to directly drive the propellers. This gives the advantage of fly-by wire technology and greater propeller torque and speed control.
A specially designed docking mode assists with ease of navigation in closed waters and docking.
The currently installed marine graded, water-cooled battery system allows the vessel to plane continuously on electric power only. Approximate electric propulsion range is: 4 knots 12 hours, 6 knots 8 hours, 8 knots 3 hours, 10 knots 1 hour, 20 knots 0.5 hour.
The power system in the Steber 43 is integrated with Ampcontrol (Collaboration Partner) remote monitoring software which allows real-time position and status monitoring.
The hybrid electric boat was introduced onto the world stage at the Indo-Pacific Defence Expo staging in Darling Harbour, Sydney in November, 2023.
This was a real “head-turner” and ensures Steber will continue to be top-of-mind when it comes to innovation in clean marine propulsion, internationally.
The hybrid’s power system is suitable for both new builds and vessel refits and comes with the following benefits:
# Reduced operational costs
# Electric propulsion controllability
# Emission, noise and diesel vibration-free operation in electric mode
# Reduced CO2, NOx and carcinogenic particulate emissions in hybrid mode
# Intergratable marine remote monitoring software for real-time position and status monitoring
# Vessel future-proofing to meet the upcoming maritime decarbonisation needs
A number of quick-thinking, like-minded boat manufacturers from across the world have joined with Steber International in developing marine electric powered vessels of all sizes and configurations, similar to the current transition underway in the motor vehicle industry.
Uses for electric-powered vessels are many and varied. Here in Australia with the Olympics around the corner – electric=powered ferries and various types of event support craft as well as marine parks, wind farms tenders, yacht clubs, marinas and so on.
The future is bright as naval architects, surveyors, government authorities, insurance companies and our enthusiastic staff all talk it up!
PICTURED: The hybrid prototype on display at Indo-Pacific Defence Expo with the Sydney skyline as a backdrop.
Please find below a link to a short video (a news item from a recent NBN Television news broadcast out of Newcastle. The boat was launched last year but trials and testing of the hybrid prototype are ongoing.
