On The Up: Whangārei firm McKay to make Samoa’s first solar-electric boats

Samoa is synonymous with palm trees and sandy beaches. A new project headed by McKay will help keep this clean, green image by introducing electric boats. Photo / NZME

A Whangārei company at the cutting edge of marine electric propulsion has been chosen to deliver Samoa’s first low-carbon boats under a United Nations programme.

McKay will design and manufacture five solar and battery-propelled electric catamarans for the Pacific Island nation, as part of an initiative called the Climate Action Pathways for Island Transport.

The ground-breaking project is “massive” for McKay, which has a history of working in the Pacific, national marine manager Ben Haselden said.

While the first vessel is being built in Whangārei with the help of project partners Circa Marine, the remaining four vessels will be built in Samoa using locals, supervised by the Kiwi experts, he said.

About 10 to 15 locals will be trained to build the boats, alongside Henry Silva Shipyard.

Haselden thought McKay’s training programme was one of the reasons it was successfully awarded the contract.

“We see so many examples of projects like this, where they’re built offshore and then dropped off.

“We’re going to teach the Samoan locals how to build, install and maintain electric propulsion; we’re not just dropping and running.”

The final stage will include comprehensive training for vessel operators, helping build a foundation for Samoa’s future in clean marine transport, he said.

While electric boats are in their infancy, they are well-suited to the Pacific, Haselden said.

The first of the 10m E-Alia catamarans is being built in Whangārei by McKay and Circa Marine, with sea trials expected in August.

“There’s better reliability and there’s the ability to use something that they have in abundance - which is sunshine, as the boats are solar-electric.”

Known as E-Alia, the 10m catamarans will be built from aluminium and powered by two electric outboard engines, reaching speeds of 6 to 8 knots.

They will be used to transport up to 12 passengers - including small numbers of tourists - between villages on the small islands of Manono and Namua, and the larger island of Upolu.

McKay is known for its ground-breaking marine technology.

In 2020, the company installed and commissioned the shore-side infrastructure for the world’s first fully electric, full-sized ship-handling tugboat, named Sparky, which is operated by Ports of Auckland.

In 2022, it was responsible for the electrical design and control of the first fully electric passenger ferry in the Southern Hemisphere: the Ika Rere in Wellington.

But Haselden said it is not just McKay leading the way in marine innovation from Whangārei, other success stories include its sister company Naut, which specialises in electric propulsion.

“Whangārei really, really does stand out for marine technology. There’s been some amazing pieces come out over the years.”

The Climate Action Pathways for Island Transport is a $NZ62 million initiative funded by Japan and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme, to help develop green transport in Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.

A total of $NZ25.8m of the funds were allocated to Samoa.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.