The Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA) has revealed the winners of the competition designed to accelerate the development of technologies that have the potential to reduce emissions and fuel consumption for crew transfer vessels (CTVs) in offshore wind.
The winners are Chartwell Marine and Seaspeed Marine Consulting, CWind, Robert Allan Limited, and Windcat Workboats and CMB Technologies.
Each will receive advice from OWA partners to support the commercialization of their technologies, in addition to a share of GBP 300,000 in funding.
The concepts demonstrate the potential to reduce fuel consumption and emissions compared to conventional CTVs and span a range of technology readiness levels from desktop studies to prototype vessel construction.
Chartwell Marine and Seaspeed Marine Consulting won with a desktop study into the development of a 15m hybrid diesel/electric outboard CTV, which combines a high freeboard hull with two diesel and two electric outboard engines, which have not previously been used on CTVs. The design proposes to operate in up to 1.5m significant wave heights and transit speeds of 20-25kn.
CWind revealed a supporting technology for the construction of a prototype hybrid diesel/electric Surface Effect Ship (SES) CTV. This 22m vessel will be able to carry 24 passengers at a transit speed of nearly 40kn in significant wave heights in excess of 1.5m.
Robert Allan submitted a desktop study for a methanol/electric hybrid CTV, which takes advantage of the high volumetric energy density and stable liquid properties of methanol, in combination with a hybrid battery propulsion system. The study will look at the feasibility of applying this novel fuel type to a 21m CTV, capable of 20kn transit speeds, in addition to boost and electric-only operational modes.
Windcat and CMB Technologies are developing a prototype hydrogen-powered CTV which uses hydrogen-diesel co-combustion. The Hydrocat 1, based on the Windcat MK3.5 platform, will be capable of using a majority of green hydrogen as fuel, delivering emission savings without compromising vessel performance.
The competition is being delivered by the Carbon Trust, with support from Black & Veatch, on behalf of OWA industry partners EnBW, Equinor, innogy, Ørsted, RWE Renewables, ScottishPower Renewables, Shell, SSE, and Vattenfall.
The work is expected to conclude at the end of 2020.