Vard, Maritime CleanTech and Rem Offshore have completed the testing of an offshore charging connection solution for zero-emission ships in the wind industry.
The prototyping phase of the project was officially launched in February 2023. Since then, charging tests have been conducted in port and offshore. Charging tests have been done in port with high-voltage charging of the ship’s batteries. Testing has also been done on the Ocean Charger offshore connection solution and the partners have demonstrated that the cable can be connected and disconnected under certain sea conditions.
By connecting vessels to the power grid in the wind farm and charging batteries regularly, the operational availability of emission-free vessel operations will be secured. The aim is to power operations at the field without using any additional energy sources.
Håvard Vollset Lien, vice president of research and innovation at Vard Group, stated, “The Ocean Charger project and what it represents, the ability to charge vessels offshore, is a central enabler for us as shipbuilders to deliver zero-emission ships to the offshore wind industry.”
Tested onboard Rem Power
According to the researchers, Rem Power is the first vessel to take part in the testing of the Ocean Charger project. Ronny Pål Kvalsvik, chief commercial officer (CCO) at Rem Offshore, added, “For us it is extremely important to be a part of the Ocean Charger project. We can show what we have told for years. Now we have partners bringing this along, and we can prove to the market that this is doable.”
Ada Jakobsen, CEO of Maritime CleanTech, commented, “We have proven that the concept can be done, so we are really proud of all the partners here and we are looking forward to the next phase.”
The Green Platform Initiative
In December 2022, the Ocean Charger Concept was awarded Nkr38m (US$3m) through the Norwegian government’s support scheme The Green Platform Initiative.
The then Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry, Jan Christian Vestre, launched the new project at a press conference in Oslo. He said, “We are carrying out the largest restructuring of the Norwegian economy ever. Everything will become greener. It is private companies that must lead the way in this transformation, with the public sector as a supporter.”
During Electric & Hybrid Marine Expo Europe in 2023, the Ocean Charger won the vessel charging award. In related news, the shortlisted nominations for this year’s Electric & Hybrid Marine Awards have recently been revealed. Click here to read the full story.