Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) are essential in offshore wind farms, but they traditionally rely on marine gas oil. In addition to greenhouse gases (GHGs), these vessels emit sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, affecting sea life and coastal communities.

Stillstrom has developed a full-scale offshore charging solution that enables battery-powered SOVs to charge directly from the offshore wind farm’s own renewable electricity. The 6 MW offshore eCharger allows a vessel with a 25 MWh battery to charge from 20–90 percent in four hours, including connection time.

Once charged, the vessel can operate for up to 19 hours on battery power alone, eliminating the use of fossil fuels during standard operations.

Electrifying SOV operations avoids the daily use of four to five tonnes of marine gas oil and cuts the GHG emissions by 15–20 percent during the life cycle of an offshore wind farm. By enabling vessels to draw power directly from offshore wind farms, the offshore eCharger helps operators manage carbon pricing and limits dependence on volatile fuel markets.

The absence of combustion engines has a positive impact on marine life since it reduces the impact from emissions, noise and vibration. Finally, the electric charger also improves the crew’s conditions since it is quieter running on electricity than on marine gas oil.