Maersk Supply Service, a part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, is launching its offshore vessel-charging venture, Stillstrom, to support the decarbonisation of the maritime industry by eliminating idle emissions. Together with Ørsted, Stillstrom will demonstrate the world’s first full-scale offshore charging station for vessels at an offshore wind farm, scheduled for installation later this year, according to the company's release.
Maersk Supply Service’s pioneering new company will deliver offshore electric charging solutions to vessels at ports, hubs and offshore energy operations. “Stillstrom”, meaning “quiet power” in Danish, is an early-stage technology spin-out, whose full-scale product launch will be the first-to-market in offshore charging, enabling idle vessels to power from clean electricity.
Offshore charging for idle vessels is critical to facilitating the decarbonisation of the maritime industry, since it allows vessel owners to replace fossil fuels with electricity while being safely moored to the charging buoy.
The first full-scale charging buoy will, as previously announced, be demonstrated with offshore wind leader Ørsted in Q3 2022. The power buoy will supply overnight power to one of Ørsted’s Service Operations Vessels (SOV), thereby supporting Ørsted’s target of climate-neutral operations in 2025. Ørsted will be responsible for the grid integration of the charging buoy.
Ørsted intends to make publicly available any intellectual property generated during the design of the buoy’s integration into the offshore wind asset, to maximise the potential uptake of this carbon-reducing innovation across the offshore wind sector.
The charging buoy itself is large enough to charge an SOV-sized battery- or hybrid-electric vessel. The same solution will be scaled and adapted to supply power to larger vessels, enabling vessels of all sizes to turn off their engines when lying idle. By substituting fossil-based fuels with green electricity, virtually all emissions and noise pollution are eliminated while the buoy is in use.
Stillstrom is fully owned by Maersk Supply Service and has received funding support from the Danish Maritime Fund and EUDP.
About Maersk Supply Service
Maersk Supply Service is a leading provider of marine services and project solutions for offshore energy sectors. With a large fleet of anchor handling and subsea support vessels, the company specialises in towing, mooring, and installing floating units.
Maersk Supply Service is committed to decarbonising its fleet and focuses on energy efficiency and ocean health. The company is expanding into renewable industries such as floating wind and ocean cleaning.
Maersk Supply Service, as a subsidiary of A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S, employs around 1100 offshore and 220 onshore staff.
Headquartered in Lyngby, Denmark, the company has a global presence in Angola, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Mexico, Norway, the Philippines, and the UK.