A first-of-its-kind pilot
In early 2026, the Port of Rotterdam Authority and its consortium partners brought online the first MW-scale marine vehicle-to-grid pilot anywhere in the world. The pilot connects two electric water taxis and one larger electric ferry to bidirectional shore-power chargers in the 800 kW to 1.2 MW range. During berthing windows that can extend several hours per day, the vessels' large traction battery packs (each in the 1 to 2 MWh range) are managed as a virtual storage asset, providing both port-side load shifting and ancillary services to the local distribution grid.
The pilot is significant because it inverts the dominant V2G narrative. Most V2G discussion to date has centered on light-duty passenger vehicles with relatively small batteries (40-80 kWh), modest power capability (7-22 kW AC), and high uncertainty around when they will be plugged in. Marine V2G flips every variable: large batteries, high power, and predictable berthing schedules driven by transport timetables. The economics are correspondingly more favorable.
The supply-chain implications
For charger manufacturers, the marine V2G use case demands a specific feature set that the broader passenger-V2G platform is only beginning to mature. The key requirements:
- True bidirectional power conversion at MW scale. Off-the-shelf 350 kW DC fast chargers can be re-engineered for limited bidirectional flow, but MW-class marine duty requires liquid-cooled silicon-carbide (SiC) power modules and sustained reverse-current operation. Our 800 kW liquid-cooled platform was designed from the outset to support this duty cycle.
- ISO 15118-20 V2X communications. The current ISO 15118-2 standard supports the basic plug-and-charge handshake but does not fully define V2G dispatch semantics. ISO 15118-20, finalized in 2022 and being progressively adopted in 2024-2026, is the relevant standard for grid-aware bidirectional control. Chargers shipping today need to support 15118-20 firmware updates over the air.
- Marine-grade enclosures and corrosion protection. Salt-spray exposure, IP rating beyond standard IP54, and seismic / quay-side mechanical hardening are non-negotiable for port deployments.
- Grid-code compliance for ancillary services. A marine V2G installation is, in effect, a grid-scale asset. The charger must satisfy the local distribution operator's grid code for frequency response, voltage support, and fault-ride-through.
Why this matters beyond the Netherlands
The Rotterdam pilot is being closely watched by every major port-operator in Europe, the UAE, Singapore, and the US west coast. Electrification of harbor craft (tugs, pilot boats, ferries, water taxis) is accelerating ahead of larger ocean-going vessel electrification, and the supporting shore infrastructure is the gating factor. Chargers proven in this duty cycle will see fast adoption.
For SUNFULL and sunfull, the convergence with our ongoing Wuhan Yangluo Port V2G pilot in China is direct. Both deployments use closely related power-electronics platforms, share lessons on bidirectional control firmware, and inform our reference design for the next generation of marine chargers due to ship in late 2026.
What suppliers should do today
If your team is bidding on or supplying marine charging projects in 2026-2027, three actions are urgent. First, verify your charger platform's true bidirectional capability — many chargers marketed as "V2G-ready" are limited to V1G smart charging only. Second, verify ISO 15118-20 firmware roadmap with your supplier; without it, the charger will not be procurement-eligible for most upcoming EU port tenders. Third, begin building local service capability — marine deployments cannot tolerate the months-long return-for-service cycles that early light-duty V2G installations sometimes accepted.
Our team is happy to discuss reference architectures, pilot-project participation, and OEM/ODM options for port-authority and shipyard customers. The next 24 months will define the supplier short-list for the marine V2G category for the rest of the decade.
