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Following successful in-port and offshore prototype testing, Norwegian lifting and handling specialist Seaonics wants to commercialise its Ocean Charger solution for electric SOVs.
High-voltage charging tests were conducted in port to charge the batteries on the 2023-built Rem Offshore-owned diesel-electric hybrid CSOV REM Power and offshore from a charging point mounted on a wind turbine.
“At 10 years old, the turbine is one of the smallest offshore but the prototype proved it is possible to install the Ocean Charger on an existing turbine and charge an SOV from day one, using 11KV current delivering 6MW of charge. Apart from a handful of improvement points to fix, the concept and control system are complete and the product is available for sale as-is. We’re first in the market and already in talks with wind farm owners,” said Bjørnar Huse, sales manager of offshore energy at Seaonics.
Due to the variable power current between wind parks and wind turbines, the commercial version must be customised for each project. Customising the configuration and getting approvals for a specific wind park and vessel might take a few months. Wind parks usually have 66 or 132 KV requiring one or two transformers – one on the charging point and another on the vessel – to get the high voltage down to medium or low voltage. The cost-effective compromise is to stick with 11KV, which is what the Aurora-class vessels use.
“It saves the time and energy needed to return to port to charge, while the operating cost of electric SOVs versus diesel and alternative fuels is much lower because both the energy is cheaper and you reduce engine maintenance demands. You still need diesel engines for backup power, but quite a lot smaller than for a full diesel operation, with lower capex,” Huse added.
A large, 60-person SOV consumes 20 to 25MW hours per day, so at 6MW you can potentially charge for a full day’s operation in three to four hours.
Seaonics noted that wind farm owners are moving away from the idea of locating charging points on substations or floating buoys and claimed that the standard will most likely be charging points on a turbine.
“The prototype worked using a standard vessel and crane. The plug is an industry standard used for shore charging cruise ships as well as Hoegh Autoliners’ Aurora-class hybrid-electric newbuild car carriers. Tying known technology together made it easier to get to a prototype in a relatively short time,” Huse said.
The Ocean Charger was developed by a consortium led by Vard Design and sister companies Seaonics and Vard Electro, alongside partners Rem Offshore, Solstad, SINTEF, DigiCat, Sustainable Energy, Equinor, Source Galileo, Corvus Energy, Plug, Shoreline, Sustainable Energy, University of Bergen, Norce and Maritime CleanTech. |
