A partnership between OS Energy Marine Power Solutions and Ecomar Propulsion will develop a new zero emissions propulsion system for wind farm support vessels.
At present, OS Energy has eight multipurpose ships carrying out operations in Europe and the Arctic, and under the new contract, Ecomar will develop a clean propulsion system for the 46m MV Søloven. O.S Energy’s fleet consists of vessels ranging from 390 to 450 metric tons.
Installation of the system is scheduled to take place in 2022, with Ecomar providing OS Energy with retrofit capability to enable each vessel to reduce its emissions to zero while still being able to carry out long-range operations with a high level of performance.
The project is expected to extend the vessel’s life by five years.
“By designing replacement propulsion for the Søloven we are able to extend the life and value of the ship without compromising its operations,” commented Eugene Bari, managing director, Ecomar Propulsion.
“We are enabling large support vessels to go green at a reasonable cost and with minimal impact on OS Energy’s income. OS Energy is a fantastic partner for us; they are forward thinking, proactive and committed to providing the best service they can for their clients.”
“We hope that this project will demonstrate that it is possible to make clean propulsion a viable option for commercial shipping and that we are a company with great ambition at the cutting edge of new technology,” said Martin Nürnberg, director, OS Energy.
“Converting old vessels to clean energy presents us with a clear competitive advantage and saves scrapping ships which would otherwise become useless.”