Prospects

for the future

Project MOBEKA & Technical University Berlin: We are looking for Partners

Together with the Department of “Design and Operation of Maritime Systems” (EBMS) at TU Berlin, Mobeka is planing to develop and build the first replicable prototype of a diesel-electric steel freighter for local traders on the upper Congo: safe, economical, robust, durable and locally reproducible.

–  Steel vessel designed for local use – considerably lighter yet more stable than the wooden baleinières; replicable with simple means. 

 

–  Purpose-built, low-vibration propulsion system: height-adjustable rudder propellers, driven by one solar powered motor and two diesel-electric motors.

 

Download the project flyer here.  

BACKGROUND 1: The metallization of wooden baleinières is inevitable

The steadily growing transport system of wooden baleinières offers us valuable insights into local knowledge, skills, and the needs of river transport and mobility. Nevertheless, wooden baleinières are not sustainable, owing to their short lifespan, the high structural safety risks, and the ecological consequences of increasing deforestation for timber shipbuilding. Mobeka is therefore committed to the metallization of the baleinières, identifying ways to encourage local boat owners to gradually replace their own fleets with steel vessels.

BACKGROUND 2: the Propulsion Problem

Wooden baleinières are powered by up to seven low-tech single-cylinder engines, each with its own rudder propeller, usually without an exhaust system (and correspondingly loud). Operated independently of one another, the boat never comes to a standstill – yet the engines are not designed for heavy-load operation and must be replaced every six months. So as to also reduce overarching dependence on fossil fuels and their global market, Mobeka is committed to developing a propulsion solution that is more sustainable, while remaining locally adapted and mechanically accessible.

Building an Appropriate River transport School in Kisangani

More sustainable material solutions alone are not the answer. Too often, shipwrecks are attributable to human error, particularly since crew members generally take up their work without any prior knowledge of safety and shipping standards. What is needed is a training opportunity tailored to the existing knowledge and skill levels of local actors, and delivered in the local language, Lingala. Rather than functioning as a conventional top-down transfer of knowledge, this training is being conceived as a dialogue with the actors – one that takes their existing knowledge and established practices seriously.