Bibby Marine has urged the offshore wind industry not to wait for electric charging infrastructure to become the norm before choosing service vessels designed to deliver operational efficiencies through reduced fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
The company’s battery-first eCSOV is under construction at Armon Shipyard in Vigo, Spain. It is due to launch in mid-2027 and is expected to enter service in 2027, operating on a battery-first, self-charging basis supported by dual-fuel methanol/MGO generator sets.
In a battery-first design, onboard dual-fuel generators charge batteries that provide power and propulsion for the entire vessel. Bibby Marine said this enables allows the generators to operate at a more consistent and efficient load rather than continuously responding to changing power demand, which it says reduces fuel dependency and contributes to lower operating costs and emissions.
The company said that fuel consumption of the vessel’s gen-sets can be around 40% less than that of a traditional CSOV using internal combustion engines for power and propulsion, which reduces operators’ exposure to volatile fuel prices and rising carbon costs.
Bibby Marine stressed that the vessel is not a zero-fuel proposition. However, it said the battery-first design can take advantage of onshore and offshore charging infrastructure as it is deployed, enabling zero-fuel operation as charging infrastructure becomes increasingly available.
Kevin Brown, commercial director at Bibby Marine, said, “One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding vessel electrification is that it only delivers value once offshore charging infrastructure is in place. That’s simply not the case.
“Our battery-first design has been developed to deliver meaningful commercial benefits from day one. The batteries provide the primary source of power, while onboard generators recharge the system at a steady, efficient load.
“Battery-first vessels allow operators to begin reducing operating costs immediately, while ensuring they are ready to take advantage of offshore charging as the infrastructure develops.”
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