The capital of the Netherlands has introduced an ambitious energy transition plan. A plan that goes very far indeed: it bans all thermal-powered vessels from sailing. 

Between public transport and pleasure craft, almost ten thousand vessels are affected.

The Netherlands, and Amsterdam in particular, are experiencing a boom in electric motors for pleasure craft.

It's a boom that has been driven, if not triggered, by the public authorities, who made an explosive announcement in 2020.

By 2025, the city's new EPZ will impose a total ban on all combustion-powered vessels, including pleasure craft and commercial vessels.

This announcement concerns no fewer than 10,000 boats, including 7,000 pleasure craft, both inboard diesel and often outboard petrol.

The text defines a large exclusion zone covering the entire city centre.

Only new 100% electric (green sticker) and hybrid (orange sticker) vessels will be able to be registered. No new ship registrations will be possible outside these two categories.

Faced with the outcry generated by this text, the municipality has devised a series of temporisation measures aimed at existing vessels. Until 2029, pleasure boats that are already registered will be able to buy a vignette allowing them to sail in the zone. This right will expire when the boats are sold, or will be extended if they change their mode of propulsion.

Electric, OK, but where do you charge?

The question of charging points is still very much on the back burner, at least for pleasure craft.

At the time of writing, between 400 and 500 yachts in the Dutch city have already switched to electric power. But only two dozen 16 A shore power outlets are accessible throughout the city, outside private marinas... A vast plan is currently being rolled out, but the recent epidemic has slowed it down considerably.

Amsterdam's EPZ is a forerunner of future regulations in the yachting sector. When you look at the speed at which the industry is developing in the Netherlands, and compare it with the few and often rather unconvincing attempts made by French shipyards, you wonder whether our national industry is fully aware of what's coming...