E-dock, the charging station for electric boating by the innovative start-up e-concept: a Venetian example of international success.
The first electric boating charging “palina” is in Venice at Fondamenta della Misericordia. Made of recycled and recyclable plastic, it is a significant first step toward the electric conversion of Venetian water transport, which is currently still based on internal combustion and is one of the main causes of pollution in the Lagoon.
The temporary or permanent mooring post used by boats in Venice along the banks is called a “palina.” It is said that during the time of the Republic of Venice, there was a Magistrate—an office created specifically to monitor and authorize the installation and replacement of these posts—to ensure the hydrogeological balance of the marine environment and prevent potential abuses harmful to the city’s survival.
The idea of Claudio Iannelli, Matteo Bartoli, and Francesco Pannoli, the three founders of e-concept, is to integrate useful technology into the palina—with a socket compliant with international charging standards—to draw energy for recharging boats while fully respecting the Venetian landscape.
The e-dock palina is a project launched in October 2020 through an equity crowdfunding campaign on Ecomill, the first Italian platform dedicated to projects in the energy, environmental, and territorial sectors.
Today, following numerous successes, e-concept is the charging partner for the Venice Boat Show 2021. It will present the charging infrastructure for electric boating during a press conference on June 4, 2021, at 1:30 PM in the Area Scali – Sommergibile at the Boat Show. Speakers will include Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, the Councilor for Budget, Sport, and Security of the Municipality of San Felice del Benaco Marco Baccolo, Federico Adolfo from Servizi Ambientali Gruppo Veritas, and e-concept CEO Claudio Iannelli.
Sustainable value
E-dock is a message that places the city of Venice at the forefront of European smart cities, as stated by Elisa Tosoni, North-East manager of one of the project’s supporters, E-mobility Enel X: “We strongly believe in these types of developments that also include solutions for boating, acting as a driver for electric nautical mobility just as they did for road mobility in the past.”
Venice continues to be the perfect location for the “union of sustainable mobility and green tourism,” essential for urban renewal and the protection of natural and artistic heritage—a project supported by many important Venetian entities such as Veritas, with the creation of an e-dock prototype tested for charging workboats, and Assonautica Venice, which is always at the forefront of promoting the replacement of boat engines with electric ones and emphasizing the need for lightweight infrastructure solutions in the lagoon.
There is also great support from Confindustria Venezia, which sees this project as an example of entrepreneurial excellence to be closely watched abroad: a flagship for everything related to boating and eco-sustainability—the search for a balance between humanity and the environment.
Confirmed supporters of e-dock include Cinzia Zincone, Superintendent of Public Works for Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and the Venetian engineer Valerio Volpe, who emphasized the need to “integrate the new design with all the activities already being carried out by the municipal administration for a cleaner and more environmentally sustainable lagoon.” Furthermore, the Superintendency has supported collaboration in identifying charging locations across the lagoon territory. It is an eco-sustainable idea that should be “taken everywhere across the national territory,” as stated by Massimiliano De Martin, the Councilor for Urban Planning and the Environment of the Municipality of Venice.
Venezia da Vivere has closely followed the development of e-dock since interviewing Claudio Iannelli of E-concept for the #riscrivereilfuturo project.
And the future is not just about looking ahead, but about knowing the value of the city and being aware that it represents the excellence of the human laboratory for the entire world, because the sense of community is strong here, making it the ideal place to conceive and create innovation.
The article is by Lucia Pecoraro.
