40-kW fast charger and floating battery bring mobile power to electric boats

U.S. electric marine propulsion developer Photon Marine will deploy a floating battery platform capable of bringing high-power charging to electric boats under a $1 million marine electrification project in New York. The company has received the inaugural MegaBoost award from the National Science Foundation Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York. The project will combine an electric workboat, a 40-kilowatt fast charger, and a mobile floating energy storage system called ChargeBarge. At the center of the demonstration is a 24-foot workboat powered by Photon Marine’s Gen-7 P300 electric propulsion system. The vessel has already operated on the New York State Canal System through a pilot with the New York Power Authority and New York State Canal Corporation. Photon Marine now plans to demonstrate the technologies as one connected system rather than treating electric propulsion, energy storage, and charging infrastructure as separate pieces. The project is expected to culminate in late 2027 or early 2028. Charging takes to water The most unusual part of the project is ChargeBarge, a 32-foot floating platform carrying battery energy storage and high-power charging equipment. Instead of requiring permanent fast chargers at every waterfront location, the platform can move stored energy to vessels where it is needed. New York-based Derecktor Shipyards will fabricate the ChargeBarge. The platform is being designed for vessel-to-vessel charging, remote fleet operations and temporary events. Photon Marine also sees potential for supplying emergency power during grid disruptions. A separate 40-kW marine DC fast charger will provide fixed charging infrastructure for electric commercial, government, and recreational vessels operating on New York waterways. “Commercial marine electrification will only scale when operators can see that the technology works in the conditions they face every day,” said Marcelino J. Alvarez, co-founder and CEO of Photon Marine. “This project gives us the opportunity to demonstrate an entire electrification ecosystem, from the propulsion system to the charger to mobile energy storage, while building on the real-world operating experience we have developed with NYPA.” Boats become testbeds Commercial workboats are used for jobs including harbor operations, maintenance, environmental monitoring, and public safety. Electrifying them can be difficult because operators need durable, high-power propulsion as well as charging at waterfront locations that may lack suitable electrical infrastructure. Photon Marine’s approach combines fixed charging with mobile battery storage, potentially allowing fleets to begin electrifying without waiting for a widespread waterfront charging network. The demonstration will collect data on vessel performance, battery state of charge and health, charging use, and duty cycles. Researchers will also examine vessel-to-vessel energy transfers and potential interactions with the power grid. Photon Marine plans to turn those findings into a fleet-electrification playbook that other commercial operators could use when assessing similar systems. “MegaBoost is about closing the gap between a technology that works and a product or system that customers will actually deploy at scale,” said Fernando Gómez-Baquero, director of translation for the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York. The $1 million award builds on the Engine’s smaller SuperBoost commercialization program. MegaBoost is intended for technologies that have moved beyond early development and are ready for demonstrations with customers at commercially relevant scales.Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.With over a decade-long career in journalism, Neetika Walter has worked with The Economic Times, ANI, and Hindustan Times, covering politics, business, technology, and the clean energy sector. Passionate about contemporary culture, books, poetry, and storytelling, she brings depth and insight to her writing. When she isn’t chasing stories, she’s likely lost in a book or enjoying the company of her dogs.