Supercharger for electric boats now operational

A historic milestone has been reached for electric boating in Norway when what’s thought to be the world’s first supercharger was opened in a Florø marina. The supercharger, from Plug (https://plugport.no/en/), is the first in a series planned along the Norwegian coast.

A strong collaboration between several partners, Sogn og Fjordane Energi (SFE), BKK, Evoy, Kinn municipality, and Florø Hamn has enabled this to become a reality.

“The Florø supercharger is already becoming an important part of the charging journey along the coast. Even though there are not yet many electric boats at sea, it is important to build the chargers infrastructure to facilitate the transition,” says Maria Bos, general manager of Plug. Plug is owned by BKK which equally owns the charger with SFE.

The difference between a usual charger and a supercharger is the difference in time that it takes to charge a battery, with a supercharger said to be lightning fast. Fast chargers offer between 40 to 150kW, while the Florø charger has 150kW power and can be used by anyone with an electric boat via a connected APP called Bilkraft.

“I think it’s difficult to formulate the real importance of this charger, it is a beacon that shows the way,” says Leif Stavøstrand, CEO Evoy (electric propulsion systems). “It will create rings in the water around the world and the ring will start from Florø. This is just a start for speed electric boat charging and the cure of raising concerns about the time needed to charge an E-boat. We are looking forward to the continuation.”

In addition to allowing electric cars and recreational boats to charge, the superchargers are also essentials for workboats that switch to electric boats. In the Florø area, fish farming companies have already invested in electric boats.