Charging stations from large ships
Before developing for pleasure boats and small workboat units, Norwegian company Plug came into being to manage shore power systems for large cruise and merchant ships. Launched in 2018, in conjunction with electric land vehicle charging specialist Eviny, it began by equipping a series of Scandinavian ports with high-power shore power infrastructure, before tackling charging stations for electric boats, with its first unit at Floro, near the headquarters of electric engine manufacturer Evoy in Norway, in 2021.
Creating energy hubs
Plug's range of products for recharging pleasure boats is built around three products: fast DC recharging stations with up to 275 kW per output, conventional AC recharging stations for night-time recharging, and power hubs, which combine systems dedicated to boats with terminals for electric land vehicles: cars, buses or trucks. Plug also offers mobile charging stations for one-off events.
A determination to expand in Europe
As the number of electric boats on offer increases, infrastructure issues could prove to be a stumbling block. In Southern Europe, the British company Aqua SuperPower is a pioneer, developing its network in the Mediterranean since 2021 and announcing the creation of an "electric corridor". With 17 kiosks already in Norway, Plug is now aiming to tackle the European market by forging local partnerships with marinas wishing to equip themselves.
The arrival of competition in the fast-charging sector should help accelerate the electrification of pleasure boats, and avoid the pitfall of the lack of charging stations encountered in the automotive sector.
