The Environment Agency has launched its first zero-emission workboat, the Blackwater Joule, on the River Thames. The electric vessel will begin patrols and maintenance work on July 1 as part of a plan to cut fleet boat emissions by 50 percent. The RS Pulse 63 RIB is part of the Zero Emission Workboat Network project, which aims to deploy the world's largest network of zero emission electric workboats. The agency will trial two electric workboats free of charge for two years to inform long term fleet decisions. The Blackwater Joule will support river enforcement, routine patrols, and maintenance along the non-tidal Thames. The launch is paired with a sister ship, Electra, in East Anglia. The ZENOW project also aims to guide future policy and regulations for the wider clean maritime sector. This is a practical step in decarbonizing government water operations, with real world data expected from the two year trial period.
