Grants to develop zero-emission wind farm vessel

A British consortium said it has been awarded more finance from a British Government programme to help develop zero-emission electric service operation vessels (eSOV) for offshore wind farms. The consortium is led by shipping company Bibby Marine and includes the Port of Aberdeen, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, Kongsberg, DNV, Shell, and Liverpool John Moores University. The project has now received GBP 20 million (USD 24.5 million) in finance from Innovate UK, a programme to promote innovation in British industry, Liverpool John Moores University said. This came about after the British Government awarded an unspecified volume of funding in September of this year as part of the ZEVI (Zero Emission Vessel Infrastructure) competition. The eSOV will have a battery system and dual fuel methanol engines for backup, along with associated shore-charging facilities. The battery-powered ships are expected to be operational by 2028. "The offshore wind industry is particularly keen to have sustainable ships supporting sustainable energy generation," said Dr Musa Bashir, Reader in Marine and Offshore Engineering, who is leading the university’s research and data analysis on the project.