Maersk and Orsted will demonstrate a floating buoy-based charging station for vessels at an offshore wind farm location.
The demonstration of the technology is slated for the third quarter of 2022.
It is part of Maersk Supply Service’s launching of its offshore vessel recharging venture, Stillstrom aimed at supporting the decarbonisation of the maritime industry by eliminating idle emissions.
The first full-scale charging buoy will supply overnight power to one of Orsted’s service operation vessels (SOVs), supporting Orsted’s target of climate-neutral operations in 2025.
Orsted will be responsible for the grid integration of the charging buoy and it intends to make publicly available any intellectual property generated during the design of the buoy’s integration into the offshore wind asset, to maximise the potential uptake of the technology across the offshore wind sector.
Stillstrom aims to deliver offshore electric charging solutions to vessels at ports, hubs and offshore energy operations.
Stillstrom (meaning “quiet power” in Danish), is an early-stage technology spin-out, whose full-scale product launch will be the first-to-market in offshore charging, enabling idle vessels to power from clean electricity.
The charging buoy itself is large enough to charge an SOV-sized battery- or hybrid-electric vessel.
The same solution will be scaled and adapted to supply power to larger vessels, enabling vessels of all sizes to turn off their engines when lying idle.
By substituting fossil-based fuels with green electricity, virtually all emissions and noise pollution are eliminated while the buoy is in use.
“Stillstrom is part of our commitment to solving the energy challenges of tomorrow. By investing in this ocean cleantech space at an early stage, we can help lead the green transition of the maritime industry.
“Stillstrom has been developed within Maersk Supply Service and the timing is right to create a venture that will be focused on delivering offshore charging solutions,” says Steen Karstensen, CEO of Maersk Supply Service.