Electrifying Ports: NatPower Marine and Zebox Reach Agreement

To electrify maritime transport, ports must first be electrified. There are 700 million euros from the Pnrr allocated for building electric docks, but it remains unclear when these infrastructure will become operational. Companies capable of managing such projects are also needed. The European project focuses mainly on large ships, but the issue is increasingly relevant to recreational sailing as well. Marinas are seeing an increase in hybrid and electric yachts, along with zero-emission vessels, leading to a growing demand for energy. It is within this context that the strategic partnership between NatPower Marine and Zebox was formed—Zebox being the international innovation accelerator promoted by the CMA CGM Group. The goal is to accelerate the decarbonization of the sector through the development of energy infrastructure and innovative solutions for ports and maritime transport, thereby creating the conditions needed.

The ions necessary to support the transition toward increasingly electrified maritime fleets.

The synergy between NatPower Marine and Zebox

NatPower Marine is thus joining forces with ZEBOX, combining its expertise in infrastructure development, financing, and management with the company’s international maritime and logistics ecosystem. Together, the two companies state in a release, “they will work to identify and develop opportunities in areas such as shore power supply, electric vessel charging, battery storage systems, network connectivity, clean energy, and integrated energy management.”

In operational terms: “The partnership aims to align technological innovation with concrete operational needs, along with the infrastructure, capital, and implementation capabilities required to turn the most significant use cases into practical industrial solutions that can be replicated on a large scale.”

A player for the zero-emission maritime industry

NatPower Marine develops, finances, builds, and operates integrated energy infrastructure for ports and shipping companies, offering expertise in energy supply, grid connection, battery storage, shore power, electric vessel charging, and energy management. A 360-degree service solution. And who is the partner? Founded in 2018 by Rodolphe Saadé, president and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, Zebox brings together “the most promising startups and large companies with the goal of accelerating decarbonization and operational optimization in the maritime and logistics industry.”

Zebox aims to connect the best global innovations with CMA CGM Group and its corporate partners by focusing on three strategic areas: environmental impact, technological competitiveness, employee well-being, and workplace safety. Within Zebox, NatPower Marine will work alongside startups, corporate partners, and international stakeholders in the maritime industry to assess selected technologies and specific use cases tailored to real operational needs, with the goal of identifying the most significant implementation opportunities.

Cold Ironing: approval granted for shore power supply. When will the tenders be issued?

Through this partnership, the two companies aim to strengthen the link between innovation and industrial implementation, helping to advance the most promising solutions beyond the pilot phase and supporting ports and maritime operators in developing scalable decarbonization infrastructure.

Managing the complexity of energy management for shipping

It is clear that electrification goes beyond simply installing charging stations. A port is a complex and crowded environment where vessels of various sizes and high energy consumption arrive in limited spaces. To reduce complexity, it is necessary to bring together multiple expertise areas and have an industrial perspective.

Cold Ironing: The EU offers discounted electricity for ships in port. But what about the docks…

"At Zebox, our mission is to connect the most promising innovations with the concrete needs of the industry, creating the conditions necessary for them to be developed on a large scale. NatPower Marine’s entry into our ecosystem brings essential expertise in energy infrastructure, which will help startups and corporate partners turn innovative solutions into tangible projects, accelerating the transition toward cleaner maritime transportation," says Frederic Guilleux, CEO of Zebox.

Fabrizio Zago, Global CEO of NatPower, follows. “The energy transition in the maritime sector cannot be driven solely by technological innovation. It requires the convergence of energy, infrastructure, capital, and operational capabilities around real demand. The partnership with Zebox allows us to access an ecosystem of excellence in innovation and industrial expertise, enabling NatPower Marine to contribute its unique know-how: transforming complex energy needs into financially viable, scalable, and manageable infrastructure.”

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