As a member of the Offshore Charging Working Group – a broad coalition spanning the offshore wind and maritime sectors – Bibby Marine says it is helping to tackle the key barriers to decarbonising offshore service operations.
The group’s mission is to accelerate the electrification of Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) and Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) to support a cleaner, more sustainable offshore wind industry. Recent work by the group has identified two crucial challenges that must be resolved to enable progress at scale: ensuring early-stage design considerations for offshore charging, and establishing commercial clarity around access to offshore power.
Bringing together vessel owners, technology innovators, industry bodies and tier-one wind farm developers, the Offshore Charging Working Group reflects a shared ambition to make zero-emission CTV and SOV operations a reality. With industry increasingly ready to deploy electric vessels, a clear and practical policy framework is now considered essential.
The group has engaged directly in the UK with The Crown Estate, the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), and the Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC). Discussions have focused on the need for design allowances during early FEED stages, clarity on offshore power access arrangements, pricing treatment under the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, and the practicalities of enabling vessels to physically connect to offshore charging infrastructure.
Øystein Huglen, representing Maritime CleanTech within the working group, said: “Technology is no longer the limiting factor. What industry needs now is clear, practical guidance from authorities to enable offshore charging to move from concept to delivery.” A detailed proposition paper outlining practical policy enablers for offshore charging is expected to be published soon.
Image: The offshore industry is pushing for more electrification (source: Bibby Marine)
