Gempacs - Pandu Laut Nusantara

Investing in Impact

P4G has awarded the partnership around US $350,000 in grant funding. 

The Gempacs - Pandu Laut Nusantara partnership seeks to significantly reduce emissions from fishing boats through a comprehensive marine electrification solution. 

In Indonesia, the current state of marine mobility is characterized by traditional, fuel-dependent fishing boats, contributing to environmental degradation. Existing solutions often focus on technology alone, overlooking the intricate web of regulatory, societal and economic factors affecting the sector. 

The Gempacs - Pandu Laut Nusantara partnership’s innovative climate business solution addresses these challenges comprehensively by not only offering traditional fishing boats a cleaner, more sustainable alternative but also actively engaging key stakeholders, including local cooperatives and policymakers, to ensure that the transition to electric mobility is tailored to Indonesia's unique context, enhancing community engagement, support and socioeconomic conditions. 

This multifaceted approach includes retrofitting existing or building new boats with electric motors, photovoltaic (PV) roofs, batteries, electronics and geo-localization systems for enhanced safety and emission tracking. The partnership will also provide port charging infrastructure, facilitate access to third-party grants and/or loans for boat owners, and offer species-specific nets and environmental education. 

This project provides many benefits to the local community and economy. Boat operators benefit from reduced fuel costs, boosting their income by over 50% from day one and more than 150% after loan repayment. The use of species-specific nets further aids the fishermen, helping them increase their revenues while also protecting marine life. Moreover, electric boats enhance working environments, reducing noise and harmful emissions, improving safety by tracking boat locations in real-time and ensuring the boats maintain their range and autonomy, meaning the boat can navigate and perform tasks with little to no human intervention.

To date, Gempacs has made several working electric boat prototypes and installed 1 charging station and several wall chargers. It has also sold electric boats to notable organizations, such as a UNESCO reserve, and been declared a project of national strategic importance by PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara, Indonesia’s government-owned electric power corporation. Pandu Laut Nusantara has distributed over 150 boats to fishermen and expanded its programs to include environmental education and support for coastal communities. Finally, Gempacs has signed MoUs with local partners, institutions, two co-ops with 7,000+ boats for conversion and negotiated with these partners to build more than 100 boats from Q3 2024. 

During the partnership period, Gempacs aims to raise US $3 million in seed funding and hopes to expand into the Vietnamese and Southeast Asian markets, with potential opportunities in Africa. PT Octagon Precision Indonesia, Gempacs’ strategic and operating partner, will provide expertise, training resources and engineers, and facilities in Batam (Riau Islands) to facilitate the import of technology via Singapore, when necessary, and assist with Gempacs’ technical delivery. 

Pandu Laut Nusantara will also seek to actively promote gender equality and women's empowerment through various initiatives. These include providing training and opportunities for women entrepreneurs in coastal communities, facilitating access to resources and support services in financial literacy, leadership and entrepreneurship, and ensuring their meaningful participation in decision-making processes. 

The partnership comprises the following partners: Gempacs (lead business partner); Pandu Laut Nusantara (lead administrative partner); PT Octagon Precision Indonesia (strategic and operating partner).