A renewable-powered charging station for vessels could be sited outside Aberdeen under a link-up between the Scottish port’s owner and a unit of shipping giant Maersk.
Stillstrom, a subsidiary of Maersk developing technology for offshore charging infrastructure will work with the Port of Aberdeen over potential deployment of a platform to serve vessels on standby outside the North Sea city.
The platform would supply power generated either from offshore wind or from the grid to ships, removing their need to use fossil fuels while idling and allowing battery recharging for a new generation of electrically-powered vessels.
Stillstrom and the Port of Aberdeen – a historic hub for the North Sea oil & gas industry that is now seeing significant offshore wind development in its vicinity – will spend the next year on a feasibility study after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU).
Bob Sanguinetti, CEO of Port of Aberdeen, which claims to be one of the UK’s busiest ports with 6,000 vessels visiting annually, said: “Innovative thinking and practices are crucial if we’re to achieve a green maritime industry. Pioneering projects like renewable offshore charging will help to make our vision of becoming Scotland’s premier Net Zero port a reality.”
North Sea debut delayed
Maersk launched Stillstrom – which means ‘quiet power’ in Danish – in 2020.
The company is already working with its compatriot Orsted, the global offshore wind development giant, over co-location of a Stillstrom buoy at one of its projects, offering e-charging for electric service operation vessels.
The first unit was due to be in place by the end of the third quarter of this year, but Maersk told Recharge that the deployment would now be delayed due to supply chain issues and did not give a new target date for installation.
The company declined to identify the Orsted project involved, confirming only that it will be in the North Sea region.
