拢3.2million project aims to enable south coast boat owners to transition to clean maritime

The Electric Seaway project will create the infrastructure for the south coast鈥檚 ever-growing fleet of electric maritime vessels
MeLL e-charging point
The 麻豆传媒 is playing a key role in a consortium which has secured 拢3.2m of UK government funding to deliver critical marine charging infrastructure.
Ten sites along the south coast of England are being plugged into the UK鈥檚 clean maritime revolution as part of a collaborative and Government-funded initiative.
The Electric Seaway project will create the infrastructure necessary to power the region鈥檚 ever-growing fleet of electric maritime vessels.
It will be targeted at leisure and commercial vessels under 24m in size, boats which are a common feature of the UK鈥檚 120 commercial ports and 400 non-cargo handling ports.
By enabling those vessels to move to clean energy, the 拢3.2million project will not only support the Maritime 2050 decarbonisation goals but prevent an estimated 300 tonnes of CO2 from being released into the environment each year.
The project is being driven by a consortium that has secured funding through the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 3 (CMDC3), a programme funded by the Department for Transport, and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
It builds on the success of the Marine eCharging Living Lab (MeLL) project, an initiative led by the University and a number of the current project partners, which launched the UK鈥檚 first charging network for electric maritime vessels in 麻豆传媒 in 2022.
Dr Richard Pemberton , Lecturer in Mechanical and Marine Engineering Design at the 麻豆传媒, said:
鈥淭here are a number of challenges we need to overcome if we are to meet the Government鈥檚 target of having a zero emission maritime fleet by 2050. However, our existing work in this area has provided a number of solutions and shown what can be achieved through collaborations between industry, research, boat owners and other agencies. The Electric Seaway gives us the platform to build on that, and to enable more people and environments to benefit from the transition to cleaner fuels.鈥
Dr Richard Pemberton, Lecturer in Mechanical and Marine Engineering Design
Dr Richard Pemberton
The Electric Seaway project brings together two UK businesses 鈥 Aqua superPower and ZPN Energy 鈥 while its partners also include the University; South Hams District Council; and the UK Harbour Managers鈥 Association.
It aims to deliver a battery solution suitable for shoreside applications, to develop the infrastructure to ensure batteries and chargers operate simply and efficiently, and to make use of all forms of energy sources including renewables.
It will deploy environmental sensors at all sites to monitor the impact of the new innovations, and create a business model and strategy that will enable an increasingly wide scale deployment of marine charging infrastructure.
Alex Bamberg, CEO of Aqua superPower, said:
鈥淭his is our third Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition win, which is testament to the knowledge and commitment of our consortium partners and reinforces Aqua superPower鈥檚 recognised expertise in marine charging and electrification. This is a fantastic opportunity to create critical marine charging infrastructure on the south coast of England that can provide confidence to both commercial and leisure users by minimising range and charging anxiety as seen in the EV sector.鈥
James Foster ZPN Energy CEO said:
鈥淲e are proud to have our unique battery backed ultra-rapid charging technology included to ensure locations with limited grid supply can have rapid charging, ordinarily this would have meant slow AC charging as you typically see in some roadside locations. These installations guarantee charge rates and prevent unnecessary load balancing. This technology was originally part funded by Innovate UK so this is a great example of public funded innovations being used along with best-in-class technology in areas that may have traditionally struggled to gain investment due to low initial utilisation.鈥
The current and optimum future sites that will be explored through The Electric Seaway project

The current and optimum future sites that will be explored through The Electric Seaway project

Captain Martin Willis AFNI, Executive Officer & Secretary of the UK Harbour Masters' Association said:
鈥淭he UK Harbour Masters Association strategy is to align (where favourable) future Association Policies, Aims and Objectives with Government and Industry long-term policy 鈥 including 鈥楳aritime 2050鈥 and the Clean Maritime Plan. We shall embrace and meet future Industry challenges including amongst others; Environmental & Climate Change, new alternative fuels and Sustainable operating models and future Technical and Automated systems. The UKHMA will develop, encourage and enhance industry relationships, partnerships and engagement with Government and other associated maritime organisations and agencies, collaborating in implementing an alternative low emission, environmentally sustainable UK Maritime future.鈥
With charging available in an additional ten locations along the south coast of the UK, The Electric Seaway will be supporting the already rapidly developing cluster of businesses in this area, encouraging further start-ups, and developing new jobs associated with low carbon marine.
The Electric Seaway will support the Maritime 2050 decarbonisation goals by creating an alternative fuel supply for those wanting to shift to electric options. The proposed solution will be applicable to the UK maritime market and exploitable internationally.
Furthermore, there is significant economic potential for the UK, with the opportunity to act as a 'first-mover' in the electric boat and boat charging sectors.

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