So today, ten years ago, they founded MG: ‘Back then we built the world’s first solar boats, now every new super yacht comes with a hybrid system. Think of where we could be in another ten years!’
Sealegs is a world leaders in amphibious crafts, designed and developed to take all the hassle out of boat launching and retrieval. The system simply drives from a storage location, down a boat ramp or beach and into the water. Once afloat, the wheels lift up out of the water to be stored against the hull, and the boat is used as normal.
The company has been driving the amphibious boating revolution since its start in 2001. The very first versions had electric motors driving the wheels, while across the rest of its models hydraulic propulsion is powered by a petrol engine. But the E4 combines high-torque brushless electric motors with MG’s high density 7kWh lithium battery technology. In many ways it may be the best Sealegs craft yet.
Without a petrol engine roaring the E4 is quieter, but runs faster and longer than conventional models. With a standard 150hp outboard it achieves 40 knots, while it drives for around 1.5 hours on a land, depending on speed, load and terrain. Performance is further increased by regenerative braking and outboard charging. All the usual safety features, such as emergency braking, are included.
Without having to accommodate a petrol engine, there’s more flexibility to house the 51 V 7 kWh lithium ion battery, which takes four to five hours to fully recharge, by simply plugging it into a 240 V mains supply. The outboard also feeds the battery via the VSR and a PowrFlow step-up charger, as does the regenerative braking system. Solar power is another option. All systems are connected to a central Naviop display which supports MG’s battery systems to show battery status.
Combining of the latest battery and motor technology quite possibly represents the future of amphibious boating. “The release of the Electric E4 takes Sealegs’ global leadership position in amphibious technology to the next level,” according to Founder and Chief Technology Officer Maurice Bryham. “We have made our amphibious system 33% faster, 60% quieter and 50% more powerful.”
Loodswezen‘s maritime pilots make sure sea-going ships enter and exit their ports as safely and efficiently as possible. Day and night. Under any circumstance. The highly trained crew assists over 90 000 vessels a year in their voyage to and from Dutch and Flemish seaports on the Scheldt River and is on call 24 hours a day.
Tenders are used for embarkation and disembarkation as well as transporting the pilots smoothly and securely. Normally these very manoeuvrable boats come equipped with large and heavy lead-acid battery banks in order to deliver energy for propulsion and onboard service systems.
However, in close cooperation with MG a unique and innovative systems has been installed, consisting of 4 compact, light yet highly powerful battery modules, strong enough to deliver the peak capacity needed to start both engines and keep all systems running.
The entire system weighs only 100 kg, which is 3 times less than the traditional lead acid battery banks. Yet it complies with Loodswezen’s high standards of safety and efficiency. But most importantly, the tenders run fast, quietly and conveniently.
Thus the project illustrates how a successful cooperation results in a sustainable industrial application.
Engine starting systems, 24 V (twofold)
Service system, 24 V
This system is supplied and installed by our partner Alewijnse Marine.
A growing number of luxury yachts is hybrid-electric. Some are even equipped with solar panels or power banks, but as these generally don’t provide enough energy to power both onboard systems and propulsion, most still rely on burning fossil fuels at least to some degree.
But that’s about to change. Enter Silent 55, the newest cruising catamaran by Silent Yachts, that relies nearly entirely on solar energy. No toxic exhaust, no noise from generators and no excessive vibrations from diesel engines. It’s virtually self-sufficient and maintenance-free.
The 55-foot vessel comes outfitted with 30 high-efficiency solar panels with a power output of around 9 kW. Using charge controllers this energy is stored in 28 high-energy Litium-Ion batteries to power both onboard amenities (through a 15 kVa inverter) as well as a its silent electric propulsion system.
The entire installation includes 2 systems, each consisting of 1 MG High Voltage Master and 14 MG High Energy Battery Modules, configured in series to achieve a system capacity of 2 x 70 kWh. Unique in this application is the unusually high system voltage of 400 VDC, while the setup is very compact and weighs only 2 x 400 kg.
A generator is on board for rough weather or emergencies, but the Silent 55 meant to cruise for weeks on end. Carefree.
2 systems, each consisting of:
Windcat Workboats is Europe’s leading provider of specialist crew transfer vessels to offshore wind power industry. These high speed crafts are operated on a daily basis to ferry technicians and other personnel to and from installations in North West Europe, from the UK to Denmark and Germany.
The small yet fast catamarans are optimised to guarantee excellent quality of service, enabling the crew to perform their work offshore without delay, in a reliable and comfortable way. When it comes to operational safety the company is committed to the highest standards for international projects.
Windcat 41 is the latest addition to its fleet. This state of the art vessel, carrying 26 technicians, was built according to the latest technologies, rules and regulations. In order to comply with the industry’s energy reduction goals, while simultaneously meeting ever-increasing demands for higher comfort and performance, the 23 meter vessel was radically optimised in terms of hull design and – in stead of conventional batteries – outfitted with MG’s lithium-ion equivalents, due to their superior energy density.
The result surpassed all expectations. High performance, at a top speed of 31 knots using only two 720kW engines, with low fuel consumption and low emissions, stating a reduction of up to 40% compared to conventional designs. Which also yields a saving in costs. Thus the Wincat 41 sets a new industry standard for efficiency.
A total of four energy systems were installed, for emergency, service (twofold) and radio. Work on installing a similar setup on the next vessel is already underway. While MG’s energy systems are often used on luxurious super yachts, this projects shows they’re strong enough to perform on industrial workboats too.
Emergency system
Service systems (twofold)
Radio system
This system is supplied and installed by our partner Alewijnse Marine and certified by DNV-GL.
Aldo Pagini’s Mister A is everything you might imagine, when you think of a fast cruiser: a highly researched, technological and stylish 20-meter long sailing yacht that delivers top performance in great comfort. And not just for leisure and pleasure: it even steered to victory in the cruising division of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in 2004.
When it comes to the design, the materials are of special interest. A pre-impregnated vacuum-treated carbon fibre is used for the construction of both hull and deck, as well as the interior structures and even furnishings, in order to guarantee low weight and maximum strength. Yet it features everything you’ll need to enjoy your sailing trip in total relaxation.
So when it comes to batteries MG’s energy system is a perfect fit: low weight, low volume, yet superior high energy density.
This system is supplied by our dealer Asea Nautica.
For the past couple of months, we’ve been working on some exciting new products and developments, which we’re proud to present at the Electric & Hybrid Marine World Expo 2018! More informations will be released in the upcoming weeks, so you can save the date and be the first to check them out, the 27th until the 29th of June 2018 in Amsterdam. We look forward to meeting you there!
The second generation Lithium-Ion NMC battery modules has arrived. This is an updated version with the latest safety features on module and cell level. It’s specifically developed for hybrid and full-electric marine applications. The high charge and discharge rates make it perfect for peak shaving solutions.
One of the new products is a new developed display that monitors and controls all MG’s battery systems. The high resolution display with integrated touch screen shows alle the values you need to know of your bateries. The integrated wifi module will connect the display to the cloud and makes it possible to monitor your systems with our newly developed Energy Portal.
Key features EM-display:
Key features MG Energy Portal:
Wednesday 27 June 10:30 – 18:00
Thursday 28 June 10:30 – 19:00 *
Friday 29 June 11.00 – 16:00
*free drinks party from 17.30 to 19.00 hrs
RAI Amsterdam,
Europaplein,
1078 GZ Amsterdam,
The Netherlands
You will find us at
booth E5060
With 360 brand new solar panels on the roof to power our entire battery factory, we’re eager to put them to the ultimate test. MG will join the Frisian Elfwegentocht: a province wide challenge to drive entirely fossil free for two consecutive weeks. However, we’ll try it one step further – aiming for indefinitely.
The Elfwegentocht
The Elfwegentocht is an initiative from local students dreaming of a sustainable Friesland and eager to prove it’s already possible to travel fossil free. That’s why they’ve set up a challenge for everyone to move with sustainable means of transport within the borders of the province, from 1 to 14 July 2018.
Meeting new demands
Be it on foot, (e-)bikes, electric cars, green gas buses or even trains on sustainable power, it’s a 14-day-long demonstration to drive without a drop of petrol. And quite an endeavour, as it will pose a challenge for the participants and infrastructure alike to meet these new demands.
Major contribution
We’re very much in favour of this plan and trying to participate in any way we can. Our brand new 360 solar panels on the roof will make a major contribution to power our five electric cars and one electric bike. In addition our other cars will be provided with blue diesel.
Indefinitely
These adjustment will enable us to meet our target for the Elfwegentocht. However, this is only the beginning, since we feel a fortnight is not nearly enough. We haven’t set an end date, but instead will try to continue driving fossil free for as long as we can – indefinitely. So here’s a challenge: are you ready to join us?
Here, at MG, we’re passionate about energy and making the transition to an economy run on fossil-free fuels. As we strive to be forerunners in the field of storage solutions, we put our money where our mouth is. Last weekend we’ve installed 360 solar panels on the roof to power our entire battery factory.
Grid stability
Due to the growing number of solar parks and wind turbines on one hand, and a surge in electric transportation on the other, the grid is increasingly taxed with extremes in supply and demand. One moment there’s a steady surplus, the next a sudden shortage. These fluctuations will only intensify, resulting in more frequent power cuts.
Local storage
However, these peaks can be easily accommodated by local power storage. At MG Energy Systems we’re anticipating the future by developing energy storage solutions based on Lithium-Ion batteries, complemented with built in management systems to charge and discharge with extreme efficiency. Powerful enough to run our factory.
Solar panels
We chose solar panels with a very high efficiency, using the latest MWT technology (Metal Wrap Through) co-developed by
Eurotron. This technology reduces the risk of microcracks by not soldering the solar cells but gluing them, thereby ensuing a higher yield over the lifetime, compared to traditional solar panels.
Energy yield
The annual output of this installation accounts for approximately 100,000 kWh of energy. The performance is accurately tracked by means of absolute irradiation measurement with a pyranometer and the energy yield of the panels. All data are collected in the cloud and can be accessed via the MG Energy Portal, a modular web platform developed by us to monitor energy systems.
Carbon footprint
The power generated will primarily be used for all assembly and development processes in our battery factory. In addition, all five of our electric cars are being charged with solar energy to make sure we travel fossil free. Due to these measures the carbon footprint of our company and our products is relatively small.
Energy storage
The energy storage system, installed in combination with the solar panels, can be used for various applications, such as peak-shaving, grid frequency stabilisation (FCR), backup and self-consumption, each with its own business case. As most of these meet our own needs and demands, it’s a perfect impetus for further exploration.
MG Energy LAB
The solar panels and storage installation are part of the Energy LAB that was set up at MG Energy Systems, as a playground for innovation and development. For example, solar panels, storage systems and charging infrastructure for electric cars are combined, developed and tested. We consider the Energy LAB as a platform to develop energy systems of the future.
Ultimate test
Always eager to put our systems to the test, we’re excited to announce we’ve found the perfect challenge.
