A new research paper by ScottishPower Renewables and Stillstrom, a cleantech business venture owned by Maersk, has found that battery-powered boats could be a feasible option for servicing offshore wind farms.
The whitepaper, entitled “Offshore Charging Solutions for Service Operation Vessels”, explored the economic and technical feasibility of servicing offshore wind farms with battery-powered Service Operation Vessels (E-SOVs), which stay out to sea for extended periods of time, up to several weeks. The study revealed that charging E-SOVs directly from the wind turbines they are servicing is not only feasible from an economic, technical and operational perspective, but could also have significant cost and emissions benefits.
According to the study, switching to E-SOVs could cut operations and maintenance-related CO2 emissions by approximately 4,700 tons CO2 per year compared with using marine gas oil as fuel for a service operation vessel. Furthermore, it notes that incorporating electrical charging infrastructure and E-SOVs for new offshore wind farms is significantly cheaper than other decarbonised options, such as e-methanol-fueled service vessels.
While the current cost of using E-SOVs is on the same level as using marine gas oil-powered vessels to service an offshore wind farm, the report does add that using E-SOVs could provide a potential saving by eliminating the risk of volatile fuel costs, as well as avoiding potential future oil and gas taxation on marine gas oil
The findings are being shared as part of Operation Zero, an initiative launched at COP26 in Glasgow, which unites developers and supply chain companies to work together on making zero-emission operations and maintenance boats a reality in the offshore green energy sector.
Ross Ovens, ScottishPower Renewables’ managing director for offshore, said: “The study with Stillstrom provides valuable learning on how this innovative technology could be integrated into offshore windfarms and shows the art of the possible. What we need to do now is consider what this means in practice and what that would look like in real life. The report offers plenty of food for thought and it’s great to have the support of Operation Zero to share these findings, so we can all collectively work together towards a clean energy future.”
Kristian Borum Jorgensen, CEO of Stillstrom, added: “Our collaboration with ScottishPower Renewables highlights the potential of E-SOVs to fully decarbonise vessel operations in offshore wind farms, making them more sustainable and cost-effective. We are excited to deliver practical systems that accelerate decarbonisation and enable a cleaner future for offshore operations.”
Nigel Quinn, chair of the Operation Zero Steering Board, said: “It’s great to see developers and the supply chain working together to develop the solutions and best practice that will be a game changer for the industry as a whole. Through studies like this, we will be able to learn, innovate and accelerate the adoption of zero-emission vessels and technologies to achieve a sustainable maritime future.”
