Stillstrom, Maersk’s offshore power and charging solutions developer, has deployed its Offshore eCharger system in a marine environment in Port of Aberdeen ahead of full offshore trials.
The offshore charging system was deployed on Maersk Lifter, a multi-purpose anchor handling tug supply vessel (AHTS) owned by Maersk Supply Service, at South Harbour in Port of Aberdeen, following yard trials.
According to Stillstrom, three charging cycles between the quayside and the vessel were completed, with each cycle becoming more efficient.
“Our system demonstrated impressive efficiency and robustness, and we achieved a faster than expected connection time between our system and the vessel,” Stillstrom said.
The next step includes advancing the offshore charging system and preparing for full offshore trials.
To remind, Maersk’s spin-out signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Port of Aberdeen in August 2022 to perform a joint feasibility study into a charging hub that would use offshore wind or other renewable energy sources to power vessels on standby outside the port.
Maersk Supply Service launched Stillstrom at the beginning of 2022 to tackle idle emissions through offshore electric charging solutions for vessels at ports, hubs, and offshore energy operations and said it would demonstrate the world’s first full-scale offshore charging station for vessels at an offshore wind farm together with Ørsted.
Stillstrom has also partnered with the Port of Skagen to jointly explore the integration of offshore power and charging solutions into the port’s anchorage zone, also referred to as “Skagen Anchorage” – one of the busiest anchorage zones in Northern Europe.