Bringing clean energy to the seas is no longer a pipe dream.
From hydrogen ferries to innovative sail systems designed to reduce fuel consumption in cargo ships, the waters are slowly but surely going green with a wealth of climate-forward innovations.
A new electric charging station, created by Parkwind and MJR Power & Automation, is already electrifying the seas with great success, according to New Atlas. In fact, it’s a world-first: A wind-powered electric charging station right in the middle of the Belgian North Sea.
Belgian company Parkwind created this substation wind farm, which is connected to its Nobelwind wind farm, located 29 miles off the country’s coast. The wind farm has been in operation since 2017, features 50 turbines, and is part of a system of wind farms that supplies power to about 190,000 households.
But the new charging station is going beyond household energy and powering maritime operations.
The biggest goal here is to create a sustainable, electric alternative to traditional gas and fuel systems used by maintenance and transport vehicles.
Earlier this year, the charging system was transported to the offshore substation and lifted in modules using the substation crane — resembling an offshore oil rig.
It was successfully set up in under two days and tested using a crew transfer vessel, which Parkwind reports went swimmingly, with no disruption to the facility’s operations.
“The trial proved the system can transfer electricity from a wind farm to the vessels safely without any disruption to the farm,” Kristof Verlinden, Head of O&M at Parkwind, said in a statement.
Not only was the trial successful, but it indicates a swath of benefits promised by these charging stations. The station itself is very versatile, powering smaller crew transfer vessels with up to two megawatts of power, as well as larger service operation vessels, with up to eight megawatts.
The station can also be used to supply offshore power to other vessels on standby, dramatically reducing their emissions from diesel generators.
Additionally, the charging station operates with hands-free coupling and uncoupling apparatuses, meaning ships can connect and disconnect to the charger with ease and safety.
It can also adapt to various conditions and will provide a solid charge, even on the choppiest waves, ensuring that the vessel stays in place while charging.
After testing the charging system, these lessons will be incorporated into the first commercial offshore charging system, which MJR hopes to have delivered in the first quarter of 2025.
Funded by The Offshore Wind Growth Partnership and the UK Department of Transportation, experts at Parkwind and MJR are hopeful for the possibilities of a cleaner, greener future for the deep blue.
“We are committed to making all of our activities as sustainable as possible,” Verlinden said. “This is a game changer for our maintenance vessels, which can now access green energy directly from our wind turbines as they carry out their work.”
Header image courtesy of Parkwind
