Sign in
First charging point for ships at sea is now operational: Belgian renewables company Parkwind – a subsidiary of Japanese power company Jera – has successfully installed and tested a new boat charging station system in the Belgian North Sea, according to a statement published last week. The charging station, powered by locally sourced renewable energy, allows vessels to connect to the charging cable and stay in place while charging despite sea currents. The trial proved the system could transfer electricity from a wind farm to the vessels safely without any disruption to the farm’s operations.
The details: The charging system — developed by UK-based MJR — supports both CTV and SOV charging, significantly cutting emissions from diesel generators. This initiative is partly funded by The Offshore Wind Growth Partnership and supported by the UK Department of Transport. Parkwind and MJR plan to incorporate lessons from the trial into the first commercial offshore charging system, scheduled for delivery in 1Q 2025.
