MDL Marinas has announced that it will be installing Aqua SuperPower rapid chargers for electric boats at five of its UK marina sites.
Cobb’s Quay, Hamble Point, Sparkes, Ocean Village and Windsor will all get the new chargers. No specific timeline has been promised, but MDL says that more sites are set to follow in the months ahead.
Each of these initial five stations will provide dual simultaneous DC charging of up to 75kW and will be accessible to MDL marina users via the Aqua secure app or RFID card.
“We recognised that for the electric boat market to grow, it’s essential that a charging network is developed to service these boats,” says Tim Mayer, sales and marketing director at MDL.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Aqua SuperPower to be able to support people wishing to make their boating more eco-friendly and sustainable.”
This move makes MDL the first marina chain in the UK to team up with an electric boats charging point provider.
“We’ve chosen to join forces with Aqua SuperPower, not just because we believe it has developed the best marine electric charging solution at this time, but because its mission aligns with our aim to help reduce the impact of boating on the marine environment,” adds Michael Glanville, managing director at MDL.
The carbon footprint of boating has long been a thorny issue, and in its announcement, MDL estimates that a 10m dayboat powered by a diesel engine, with 480l of diesel in its tank, will generate approximately 1,290kg of CO2 on a typical day out.
To put this into context, an average family car takes three months of average use to generate the same amount of CO2.
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“While the marine sector may lag behind others in terms of deployment, the massive growth of electric vehicles on the highway has proved that electrification is the way forward,” argues Alex Bamberg, CEO of Aqua SuperPower.
“When you’re asking a consumer to make a significant investment in an electric boat, you want to assure them they can have the charging that suits their lifestyle.
“Access to a charging infrastructure that offers a reliable experience with features like charge point visibility is essential for boat builders and their customers if they are to develop the confidence to transition away from liquid carbon fuels.”
