Offshore green energy charging has achieved a world-first with a pioneering system at Nobelwind wind farm. MJR Power & Automation’s charging station enables vessels to access local renewable energy at sea, reducing CO2 and promoting sustainable operations.
Nobelwind, which is located 47 km from shore in the Belgian North Sea, is Parkwind’s third offshore wind energy project with 50 turbines installed over 19.8 km² that powers approximately 190,000 households.
Working in close partnership, MJR carried out all electrical and mechanical interface engineering to install the system on the substation. Parkwind provided offshore logistics, offshore installation, testing support and the electrical power interface.
The system was transported from the quayside to the offshore substation via CTV and lifted in modules using the substation crane. Within two days, it was assembled, hooked up, and commissioned on the substation. The automatic coupling and uncoupling process and charge management tested successfully over another 2-day period with power transferred safely to a CTV from a fully operational and producing offshore wind farm; a world first!
Kristof Verlinden, Head of O&M at Parkwind explained, "We are committed to making all of our activities as sustainable as possible and this is a game changer for our maintenance vessels, which can now access green energy direct from our wind turbines as they carry out their work. The trial proved the system can transfer electricity from a wind farm to the vessels safely without any disruption to the farm.”
Paul Cairns, Managing Director of MJR, said, “Part funded by The Offshore Wind Growth Partnership and made possible by the original support from the UK Department of Transport in the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, the success of this trial is a testament to the specialist marine and offshore engineering skills of MJR Power & Automation, it’s trusted partners Blackfish Engineering Design and Tidal Transit. Not to mention the commitment, professionalism, and trust of our valued partner Parkwind, without whose vision this trial would not have been possible.
“Other people may imitate us, but MJR is the true pioneer and leader of ‘in air’ offshore charging systems, with proven capability of supplying power, safely and efficiently from an operational offshore asset to a vessel.”
The system is designed for both CTV charging up to 2MW and SOV charging up to 8MW and can also be used for supplying offshore power to other conventional offshore vessels on standby, dramatically reducing their emissions from diesel generators.
MJR will now incorporate the lessons learned from the trials into the first commercial offshore charging system delivery scheduled for Q1 2025.
