Leading the Charge: Best Practices for Marine EV Infrastructure - LTC

This feasibility study will establish clear, harmonised guidance for marine EV charging infrastructure, while developing early-stage hardware concepts tailored to the unique challenges of coastal and inland waterway environments. While building on existing automotive EV standards, the consortium will go further, developing marine-specific recommendations and concepts suitable for the UK and international markets.

The consortium brings together a balanced team combining design expertise, regulatory insight, sustainability leadership, installation experience, and active end-user participation:

* **Duku** - Specialist EV infrastructure designers, delivering initial hardware concepts and coordination of project delivery.
* **Cenex** - Leading low-emission transport consultancy, driving the regulatory and standards framework.
* **Apricity Sustainability Consulting** - delivering lifecycle assessments and guiding materials selection to reduce environmental impact.
* **South Hams District Council (SHDC)** - End-user and harbour authority, providing operational insights and ensuring outputs align with real-world needs.

The project will audit existing solutions across inshore, pontoon, and shoreside applications for vessels under 40m, for both new build and retrofit vessel markets, building on prior research delivered by consortium members. The scope covers both lower-power 'fast' (up to 22kW) AC and 'rapid' DC solutions (typically 50kW+).

Through direct engagement with end-users and technical specialists, the project will:

* Create early-stage EV-charger hardware concepts, informing future demonstrations with practical, dedicated marine chargers.
* Identify regulatory gaps and propose a future framework.

Define embodied carbon targets and sustainable material strategies.

Provide a case study to inform harbour decarbonisation strategy.

Capture installation insights, shaping future green skills training.

Collectively, this work will catalyse future investment and demonstration activity, reinforcing the UK's leadership in clean maritime infrastructure while enabling the skills and R&D required for mass adoption.

By delivering practical insights, regulatory guidance, and early-stage technology concepts, the project will equip UK industry and local authorities to accelerate marine electrification, strengthening each partner's technical and commercial capability and supporting wider supply chain readiness.