E-MOBILITY T
idal Transit pioneers electric- powered access, transport, and crew transfer services for the offshore energy
sector in the UK and Europe. Based on the Norfolk coast in the UK, the company’s mission is to propel the offshore wind industry into a new net zero era by working with partners to design, build, retrofit and run fully electrified crew transport and charging infrastructure. Now, the company is taking
this goal one step further through spearheading a new project to unlock the economic potential of electric and hybrid vessels in the offshore sector. The project brings together a consortium of industry partners such as Blackfish Engineering and MJR Power & Automation to form a new venture – Charge Offshore - which develops charging infrastructure that enables electric vessels to charge directly from wind turbines. International Transport
Manufacturer sat down with the CEO of Charge Offshore, Paul Cairns, to find out more.
MAINTENANCE IS CRUCIAL “Operations and maintenance (O&M) fleets are essential for the operation and maintenance of offshore wind farms, and they include highly specialised vessels designed to provide reliable, safe and efficient services to energy infrastructure at sea,” Cairns explains. “There are two different sizes of vessel typically used in the development and maintenance of offshore wind farms: crew transfer vessels (CTVs) and service operations vessels (SOVs).” Due to their compact and agile
size, CTVs are ideal for transporting small service teams of up to 12 people between ports and windfarms on a daily basis. SOVs, however, are much larger in size and have the capacity to transport up to 40 technicians at a time. “They can travel longer distances than CTVs and handle rougher seas,” Cairns says. “What’s more, they can stay at sea for longer periods – often up to several weeks – making them especially suitable for accessing remote areas. “Although both vessel types are fundamental to offshore windfarm
The company’s charging devices can connect directly to wind turbines, offshore substations, and floating or fixed foundation structures
operations and maintenance, they’re typically heavily reliant on diesel. Finding alternative power sources therefore remains a key priority for the sector.”
ELECTRIFICATION JOURNEY But can O&M fleets be electrified, and where is the industry on its electrification journey? “In short, absolutely,” Cairns
confirms. “However, it isn’t quite that simple. Although there are a number of projects trialling e-CTVs and e-SOVs in the North Sea and beyond, charging infrastructure is not yet at the stage where electric vessels can be widely adopted.” Compared to electric road transport, offshore charging is still very much
in its infancy, Cairns observes, “The transition towards vessel electrification has moved much more slowly than on land and, as such, maritime charging infrastructure remains relatively nascent.” Despite this, change is clearly in
the air, with the UK Chamber of Shipping setting out £700m of net zero investment priorities as part of its ‘Route to Decarbonisation’ roadmap. The roadmap proposes a 2030 deadline for offshore wind installations to be fitted with vessel charging capabilities. “With this proposal acting as a much-needed catalyst for investments and R&D into offshore charging and infrastructure, we can expect to see an accelerated transition to electrification over the next five years,” says Cairns.
www.engineerlive.com 19
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