Aqua, Tritium partner up to power electric boats

London-based marine fast-charging network operator, Aqua superPower, and Tritium Holdings, an Australian developer and manufacturer of direct current (DC) fast charging technology for electric vehicles (EVs), have joined forces to electrify transportation on global waterways.

Aqua superPower has been rolling out its network of marine fast chargers, with recent installations along the Cote d’Azur and the Italian Riviera, another in Venice, and a further 150 chargers planned next year, with substantial deployment growth to come thereafter.

As the electric mobility revolution continues to take hold on the roads and in the skies, the shift towards electrification is also gathering pace across the marine world. Aqua superpower supports marinas, boat builders and boat owners in the drive to bring electric power to the water and reduce the impact of boating on marine ecosystems.

As the demand for marine charging infrastructure grows, Aqua is collaborating with Tritium, a provider of DC fast charging hardware and software, to deliver the first global marine-specialised fast charging network.

“The requirement for a joined-up network of reliable and fast marine chargers to create charging hubs and corridors for electric boat users is absolutely crucial if we are to secure the transition away from liquid carbon fuels,” Alex Bamberg, Aqua superPower’s CEO, said.

The charging speed provided by DC fast chargers is said to be critical to the growth prospects of the e-boat industry. Aqua’s strategy is to supply high-speed charging to commercial and recreational marine craft users internationally.

“The existing high-profile installations in Monaco, Portofino and Venice, together with other planned Aqua superPower and Tritium projects around the world, will support the electrification of marine transportation going forward. In the same way that passenger vehicles have reached the tipping point, the future for boating is an electrified fleet,” Jane Hunter, Aqua superPower’s CEO, commented.

Aqua said that its adoption of Tritium’s technology will promote its mission to reduce the impact of boating on the marine environment by developing an all-electric and integrated global ecosystem of marine fast chargers.

The collaboration will expand clean commercial water transport beyond luxury yachts, to ferries, shuttles, and watercraft used for fishing and passenger transport.