First electric cars, and now electric lobster boats. Canada's first all-electric lobster boat is on its way to becoming a reality. Allswater, a Bedford, Nova Scotia-based marine engineering company involved in the project, says it is moving into the "next phase -- building and testing the boat."

The project is part of a group effort also being led by the Membertou First Nation, Oceans North and BlueGrid, Allswater said in a press release. The goal is to create a fishing fleet that is cleaner, quieter and more sustainable. Once completed, the vessel, named Lektrike’l Walipotl, will join the Membertou fishing fleet.

"At Allswater, we're proud to be part of this project, and we're eager to see the ripple effect it will have on the lobster fishing industry," the company, which also has locations in Halifax, Nova Scotia, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Spain, said.

The company is integrating a battery-electric propulsion, which it said will not only reduce emissions but also lower operating costs.

BlueGrid, which is based in Halifax, will be utilizing its technology to incorporate bi-directional charging into the vessel, which will allow the boat to "feed power back into the grid when it's not in use." 

The Membertou First Nation is part of the Mi'kmaq community on Unama'ki on Cape Breton Island. In September 2020, Halifax-based Clearwater Seafoods sold two of its offshore Nova Scotia lobster licenses to the first nation for $25 million, giving the First Nation access to Lobster Fishing Area 31.