Seaonics to launch offshore charging system

The go-ahead follows successful trials of the Ocean Charger in which high voltage charging in port and offshore enabled the recharging of batteries on the diesel-electric hybrid construction service operation vessel, REM Power, built in 2023 and owned by Norway’s Rem Offshore.

Seaonics’ sales manager, Offshore Energy, Bjørnar Huse, commented: “At ten 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 a service operation vessel (SOV) from day one, using 11-kV current delivering 6 MW 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,” he added, noting that power current varies between wind farms and turbines, so the Ocean Charger will have to be customised for each project. Huse said that connecting vessels wind farm power grids to charge their batteries marks a big step in raising the efficiency of sustainable operations without using and additional energy sources.

“It saves the time and energy needed to return to port to charge, while the operation cost of electric SOVs versus diesel and alternative fuels is much lower, because both the energy is cheaper and you reduce engine maintenance demands,” he said. “You still need diesels for back-up power, but quite a lot smaller than for a full diesel operation, with lower capex.”

The Ocean Charger’s standardised setup is cost-effective because is uses an industry-standard connection plug and power levels both for offshore and in-port charging. Huse said that the plug is an industry standard used for shore charging cruise ships as well as Höegh 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, he said.