Page 37: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2023)

INTERVIEW ROBERT EKSE, PRESIDENT, EBDG

Five minutes with EBDG President

Robert Ekse ate last year we caught up with Robert Ekse, President, Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), for his take on how the Future Fuels debate is effectively shaping maritime technology

Ldevelopment and vessel investment.

Most reading this know the EBDG name, but can you give us a quick update?

Elliott Bay Design Group has been around for a long time, [at ? rst] primarily focused on ferry design and refurbishment.

We’ve branched out over the years in many different direc- tions, including tugs and barges and other workboats. Elliott

Bay brings a small company feel and communication style to an otherwise fairly crowded market.

When I say ‘alternative fuels,’ what’s the ? rst thing that comes to mind?

Unfortunately, there’s no single answer, which can be frus- trating for operators. But the reality is that there is no one ? t, because of the diversity of boats and routes. Our focus is to open the dialog and have a conversation around the options. [Putting it in terms of the automobile industry], if I commute in my car for three hours a day, I can’t buy a Nissan Leaf. That car may have 120 miles of range, and it’s not going to suit my needs if I don’t have charging stations along the way.

Image courtesy EBDG

That’s a similar challenge to vessel operators. The all-elec- tric solution may not work for them. Point-to-point short dis- tances, the kind of energy that we’re talking about is dif? cult

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