Offshore charging for both battery-powered crew transfer and service operation vessels could be on the horizon for windfarms of the future, according to two studies commissioned by ScottishPower Renewables.
The two reports, by MJR Power & Automation and Oasis Marine, are the last in a series of three commissioned by ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) to explore options for decarbonizing and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from offshore windfarm operations.
The studies consolidated initial findings that the electrification of offshore operations was technically feasible using battery-powered Service Operation Vessels (E-SOVs), which stay out at sea for extended periods.
They also looked at the potential to decarbonize offshore operations using electric crew transfer vessels (CTVs) that could be used for windfarms located closer to shore, with findings confirming that it is technically and operationally feasible.
In both scenarios, windfarms would also benefit environmentally and economically, with a significant reduction in both GHG emissions as well as annual fuel costs.
The Oasis Marine study identified that using electric CTVs enabled by installing Oasis Power Buoys in the windfarm provides protection from volatile fossil fuel price and the high costs of alternative green fuels, enabling costs to be predictable and in line with the operator’s business model. Its findings were based on the use of three electric CTVs instead of diesel-fueled vessels at a case study windfarm. The study identified potential savings of 140,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions and fuel saving costs of around £15 million over the windfarm’s anticipated 25-year lifetime.
The findings are being shared through the Operation Zero initiative, which was launched at COP26 in Glasgow and brings together developers and supply chain companies committed to making zero-emission operations and maintenance vessels a reality.
Read the SPR/MJR Power & Automation and SPR/Oasis Marine reports at: https://www.scottishpowerrenewables.com/userfiles/file/Oasis%20Marine-SPR-Operation-Zero.pdf