Naviwatt has a limited presence in the refit and construction of electric pleasure boats, but is a key player for marinas and port companies, particularly in the servicing and passenger catamaran segments. After delivering electric vessels for the port of La Rochelle, the port of Arzal, the Port La Forêt servitude, the Port-Cros nature reserve, and also for river navigation in Angers, Metz... Naviwatt is currently buoyed by the 2024 Olympic Games and the conversion to all-electricity of the city of Paris. Electricity at sea is no longer wishful thinking.
Port conversion accelerates
Sales manager at Naviwatt, Valentin Blanchard observes: "Shipowner groups such as the Paris port community have moved up a gear. We're seeing this trend throughout the river navigation industry, in the French market alone, where we're concentrating our efforts. This is leading us to recruit in particular for the design office." This is what makes the Breton shipyard based in Arzon (10 employees) so special, as it is involved in both production and design.
Valentin Blanchard insists: "We are integrators and can offer electrical solutions to hobbyists. We assemble everything here." This broad range is also due to the DNA of founder and CEO Yannick Wileveau, a naval architect with a doctorate in geophysics, who has surrounded himself with a team of engineers and project managers.
As an integrator, Naviwatt also produces its own range of boats, starting with the Zephyr 540, designed for pleasure boating, and the Zenpro RIB, of which a dozen are on the market. It was designed in cooperation with Torqeedo.
Optimum carbon footprint in certain segments
Safety is one of the key issues in a segment that still suffers from certain prejudices. Valentin Blanchard explains: " Automotive batteries are perfectly suited to boating, and are reputed to be very safe, especially by BMW." And to sweep away another prejudice: the intermediate carbon footprint. Less favorable to electric power during construction and at the end of life, it is, on the other hand, optimal when boats are heavily used: "That's the whole point of our positioning on professional boats, particularly for service and passenger transport."
