As the world moves toward a sustainable future, some regions have an abundance of renewable energy, while others are at a geographical disadvantage. Japan-based startup PowerX has a solution with the world’s first electric battery tanker, “X,” designed to transport clean energy by sea.
What does PowerX do?
PowerX is a battery startup company on a mission to change how the world uses and transfers clean energy.
While most of the world’s energy today is transferred in the form of fossil fuels, PowerX is looking toward the future with an electric-powered ship that will carry clean energy to places that need it most.
To accomplish its mission, PowerX is designing and developing a “power transfer ship” to carry renewable electricity across the world and establish an “ocean power grid.”
The startup revealed plans last summer to establish its first gigafactory in Japan to produce battery storage solutions, including its Hypercharger, an ultrafast EV charger (up to 240kW) powered by renewable energy. In addition, PowerX will manufacture grid-scale stationary batteries, marine batteries, and home batteries.
Power Base, the company’s gigafactory, features a 5 GWh annual production capacity, equivalent to around 10,000 battery storage units for its various solutions.
Moving quickly, PowerX revealed the detailed design behind its inaugural ship, “X,” at Monday’s Bariship International Maritime Exhibition.
The electric tanker that will carry clean energy by sea
The 140-meter-long electric-powered battery tanker X features an electric cruising range of up to 300km to transport clean energy from offshore wind, from one grid to another or an island.
With 96 (2.5 MWh) marine-grade LFP batteries, the electric tanker can hold a total of 241 MWh of renewable energy. PowerX says the battery design is “highly scalable” and will be able to handle more batteries in the future.
An included power control system monitors the battery systems and charge controllers, relaying how much battery life is left.
The electric tanker is optimized for short-distance travel currently. Still, CEO Masahiro Ito says as battery density increases and costs decrease, the company will be able to carry more batteries for a longer distance.
The company aims to complete its first ship by 2025, with field testing planned to begin the following year.
PowerX signed an MoU and partnered with Kyushu Electric Power Co and the City of Yokohama to turn the concept into reality and decarbonize the ports. Moreover, a new company, Ocean Power Grid Inc., will be established later this year to handle the battery tanker operations.
The electric tanker will help connect grids, offshore wind farms, and islands with renewable energy where underground cables aren’t ideal due to seismic activity, deep water, etc.
As a result, regions with abundant renewable energy can share with those less fortunate for a cleaner, sustainable future for all.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
GE Vernova’s onshore wind business announced that it received orders in 2024 to repower over 1 gigawatt (GW) of wind turbines in the US.
Wind energy repowering is all about breathing new life into older turbines. By swapping out aging parts like turbines, blades, and nacelles for the latest tech, wind farms see significant boosts in efficiency, power capacity, and overall lifespan. Other infrastructure and control systems can also get a second life.
Adding new components to existing infrastructure and grid connections means it’s less expensive to extend the life of the wind farm with fewer resources. New components make the turbines less prone to breakdowns which means less maintenance, so there are fewer operational costs.
The repowering projects for which GE Vernova received orders will use nacelles and drive trains that it manufactures in its Pensacola, Florida, factory.
“As the United States works to meet the doubling of projected demand for more energy, repower projects like these help US workers in US factories take advantage of what we already have, where we already have it,” said Matt Lynch, general manager of Repower at GE Vernova.
The orders were booked between the first and fourth quarters of 2024. GE Vernova’s wind repower projects are expected to come online between 2024 and 2027.
GE Vernova’s onshore wind business has a total installed base of approximately 56,000 turbines and nearly 120 GW of installed capacity worldwide.
If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Kia’s official first-party NACS adapters are now ready to ship out, but owners will have to wait to use them on Tesla Superchargers until later this quarter.
The rollout of Supercharger access to non-Tesla brands is hitting a fever pitch this year, with several brands added to the “coming soon” list, and even beyond that, VW and Honda have both made their own announcements that access is coming soon.
But for most vehicles, charging on Superchargers will require an adapter for the time being, as most brands aren’t adding native NACS ports to their vehicles until a future date (the current exceptions are the 2025 Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 which have native ports).
Each manufacturer is dealing with adapter rollouts separately, and Kia’s ready to announce that their adapters are ready to go.
Kia told us today that shipments of first-party adapters are currently en route to dealerships, and certain owners will be getting a notification soon to claim their adapter.
In Kia’s previous announcement about adapter availability, it said that any 2024 or 2025 EV6 or EV9 owners who took delivery after September 4 would get a free NACS adapter. Those owners should receive a push notification soon in their Kia Connect app through which they can claim their adapter.
For other owners, adapters will be available from Kia dealers for $249, which is roughly in line with the average cost we’ve been seeing for these adapters. Dealers should be getting the adapters any day now.
However, these adapters will be of limited usefulness for the next several weeks. You’ll be able to use them to charge at Tesla destination chargers, or any home charger with a Tesla/NACS plug on it, but Supercharger access still requires a handshake between the car and the charging network, and that handshake is currently disabled.
Originally, Kias were going to gain access on January 15th, but that was pushed back until the “back end of this quarter.” Some owners found out a loophole to allow for charging on the network, but that loophole was closed just yesterday.
As a result, Kia is also including “definitive instructions” on how to use the adapters along with each shipment. It wants to ensure that everyone is using them properly, especially given the recent back-and-forth about, uh, unsanctioned methods to access the network before official availability.
Kia’s EV6 with the native NACS port has also taken longer to arrive than Hyundai’s 2025 Ioniq 5. Ioniq 5s are already shipping (and can even charge faster than Teslas at a Supercharger, a feat the EV6 should also achieve), but EV6s haven’t yet hit dealerships. They should be on around the same timeline as Supercharger access, and ought to be available in the back half of this quarter.
So… Kia fans will still have to wait a little bit, but at least you’ll have the adapters ready to go for when the floodgates open later this quarter.
If you’re looking to buy one of the fastest-charging EVs on the road today, use our link to check local dealers and get in line for when they get the new 2025 Kia EV6s in stock.
But when you’re charging at *home*, charge your electric vehicle using rooftop solar panels. Find a reliable and competitively priced solar installer near you on EnergySage, for free. They have pre-vetted installers competing for your business, ensuring high-quality solutions and 20-30% savings. It’s free, with no sales calls until you choose an installer. Compare personalized solar quotes online and receive guidance from unbiased Energy Advisers. Get started here. – ad*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
EV charger manufacturer Kempower and Ziegler Energy Solutions have paired up to deliver EV fast charging infrastructure for commercial fleets.
To put it simply, Finland and US-based Kempower brings DC fast chargers to the table, and Ziegler Energy Solutions’ (ZES’s) specialty is infrastructure, energy efficiency, and operational flexibility, along with sales and service.
“As businesses and municipalities increasingly transition to electric fleets, reliable and adaptable EV charging infrastructure with the highest uptime is paramount,” said Troy Monson, general manager of Ziegler Energy Solutions. “Partnering with Kempower enables us to deliver scalable, user-friendly solutions that support our customers’ electrification goals and operational needs.”
ZES, which is now a Kempower Certified Partner, helps fleet operators address challenges like high mileage, uptime demands, and energy cost management using its EV fleet planning tools that simulate real-world scenarios like duty cycles, charging schedules, and energy needs. It also has a leasing program, and integrates solar and battery storage into fast charging infrastructure.
This means Kempower can now offer its DC fast chargers to fleet operators with ZES’s support, ensuring uptime and reliability.
If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.