22 minute read
What Is Happening
Ocean Infinity trials remote survey system for Armada fleet
Marine robotics company Ocean Infinity has completed the first trial of its remote survey system, reaching an ‘important milestone’ in readiness for the Armada fleet of unmanned surface robot vessels. According to the company, the demonstration was completed from the UK-based remote control centre while the vessel was mobilised in Sweden with hydrographic and geophysical gear.
The data was streamed over satellite communications from the vessel’s location directly to the remote control centre in the UK. During the trial, the team in the remote control centre had full control of the different payload sensors on board the vessel and was able to change any settings to the different instruments.
Gasunie kicks off construction of Dutch national H2 network
On 29 June, the Dutch minister for climate and energy Rob Jetten announced new plans for the construction of a national transport network for hydrogen. Gasunie will develop the network and then take over as TSO. It will also play an important role in the storage and import of hydrogen. Five industrial clusters will be linked to each other, to foreign countries and to hydrogen storage facilities. This will be done mainly with existing infrastructure and partly with new infrastructure that has yet to be built.
Due to the expected growth in offshore hydrogen production in the North Sea, minister Jetten will investigate whether Gasunie can also fulfill the role of grid operator at sea. In the coming years, the hydrogen network will connect the seaports with the large industrial clusters in our country and with storage locations for hydrogen. In addition, connections with Germany (Ruhr area and Hamburg) and Belgium are also being realised. This is to help the growth of the hydrogen market. According to the statement by Gasunie, approximately 85 per cent of the national network will consist of recycled natural gas pipelines. This is economically efficient because the reuse of existing infrastructure is much cheaper.
Havkraft inks deal to power fish farm using its wave energy device
Norwegian company Havkraft has signed an agreement for a project that will use its wave energy technology to provide clean power to a fish farm offshore Norway. The contract has been signed with fish producer Svanøy Havbruk for the installation of a full-scale Havkraft N-Class wave power plant at Sandkvia, close to the island of Svanøy, in western Norway.
This marks the start of commercialization of Havkraft’s oscillating water column (OWC) wave power plants, a technology expected to be competitive with any other energy source in its market segment nearshore. The project, supported by Sparebanken Vest and other unnamed partners, will be installed on site in 2023, according to Havkraft. It is expected to help Svanøy Havbruk decarbonize its operations and move away from using polluting diesel fuels.
Havkraft has developed two types of OWC power plants – the first being the Havkraft N-Class which is fitted for nearshore locations, while the second – dubbed Havkraft O-Class – is more suitable for offshore operations. Both products are based on the Havkraft Wave Energy Converter (H-WEC) and equipped with Bosch permanent magnet generators. To remind, in March 2021 Havkraft installed a multi-purpose Powerpier solution, designed to offer protection from waves while exploiting them to produce clean power, offshore the Norwegian town of Ålesund.
Fugro picks team for next-gen uncrewed surface vessel
Fugro is developing its next generation of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) called Blue Prism, which will deliver autonomous geophysical surveys. Fugro signed a contract with Kooiman Engineering and Van Oossanen Naval Architects for the naval design of this next generation of USVs. Engineered for operations in both coastal and offshore environments, Blue Prism will combine an ultra-low carbon footprint with high-quality data collection, weather resilience and endurance characteristics, Fugro said. Blue Prism will acquire bathymetry and sub-bottom data using hull-mounted sensors, while being able to tow multiple geophysical sensors.
According to the company, together with Fugro’s smart data management software, the speed and endurance of the Blue Prism will reduce risk and accelerate project delivery in offshore wind, hydrographic charting and coastal resilience. “Autonomous vessels play an important role in the future of the maritime survey sector by improving safety, reducing carbon emissions, and delivering high-quality data more efficiently,” said Frank Koopman, Fugro’s global director of Marine Site Characterisation.
RWE commissions its first floating solar project
RWE, one of the world’s leading companies for renewable energy, has commissioned its first floating solar project – a 6.1MWp power plant installed in the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant. The project consists of around 13,400 solar panels that float on a lake near the Amer power plant in Geertruidenberg, and represents the latest of three solar installations at the Amer plant.
The solar panels float on a lake whose waters were once used as cooling water. The lake has not been used for that purpose for many decades, has no direct connection with the nearby Amer river and is therefore ideally suited for floating panels, RWE said. To prevent the panels from drifting away in strong winds and colliding with the surrounding dike, they are anchored at 104 points to 52 concrete blocks sunk onto the bottom of the lake. These blocks weigh 4.6 tons each. A total of 25 kilometers of cable has been used to connect the panels electrically to the shore. The produced electricity is fed into the powers station’s grid, RWE confirmed.
Elogen to provide PEM electrolysers for Charbone’s green hydrogen projects
French tech company for PEM electrolysis Elogen is to supply Canadian green hydrogen group Charbone with PEM electrolysers for its green hydrogen projects in North America. Elogen signed a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) with Charbone.
Under this agreement, Elogen will supply Charbone with PEM electrolysers for a total capacity of up to 100 megawatts over a period of four years (2023-2026), intended for Charbone’s green hydrogen projects. The LOI will set the delivery dates, models, quantities, and prices of the PEM electrolysers to be delivered. It also provides that Charbone can ensure the assembly, and/or the local manufacturing in Canada and the United States, of the PEM electrolysers and other components, under the supervision of Elogen.
Danish to hold co-ownership in future CO2 storage licenses
The Danish government has signed a new political agreement with eight parties which implies that it will have a 20 per cent co-ownership in future carbon storage licenses in the North Sea. According to the Danish government, with the co-ownership, Denmark removes part of the risk from the private companies, which should help start a new business sector. At the same time, the government gets a share of the profits if carbon storage becomes a good business. After the first tender for storage permits in the North Sea in 2023, the signatories will meet again to evaluate the government’s participation in the next tender.
“For decades, Denmark has benefited from extracting oil and gas from the North Sea, but now we have agreed on the framework for how we can benefit in the long run from pumping CO2 into the same subsoil. The oil adventure can turn into a climate adventure,” Danish Minister of Climate Dan Jørgensen said. “CO2 needs to be captured and stored to keep the temperature rise down, and we expect demand for CO2 storage throughout Northern Europe. This agreement can both strengthen a new green industry and in the long run Denmark’s economy.”
Two Norwegian players to explore the use of hydrogen in maritime sector
Embarking on a journey to bring zero-emissions solutions to the fore, Norway’s vessel owner and operator Golden Energy Offshore Services has teamed up with Gen2 Energy, a compatriot hydrogen company, to explore the use and availability of hydrogen-based fuel in the maritime industry.
The two companies have inked a letter of intent (LOI) to mutually exchange experience and information regarding the use of possible hydrogen-based fuel for various types of vessels in Golden Energy Offshore’s fleet along with the identification of suitable locations for the availability of the alternative hydrogen-based fuel types. Per Ivar Fagervoll, CEO of Golden Energy Offshore, remarked: “We hope that Golden Energy Offshore and Gen2 Energy together can find zero-emissions solutions that are attractive to our customers and capable of being implemented both on existing vessels in the fleet and newbuilds. “The markets we are serving are increasingly demanding the most environmentally friendly solutions as using hydrogen including methanol and ammonia. Teaming up with Gen2 Energy may enable us to provide solutions even beyond our high green standard.”
Zero Carbon Center gets funding for 1st Book & Claim System
The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping has secured funding to initiate first of its kind Book & Claim System for shipping. The system would provide means for shipping groups, both on a national, regional, and global level to support the decarbonization of their shipping operations with a consumer compensation perspective. Today, high costs and limited access to alternative fuels act as significant braking pads to rapid commercial deployment of green shipping in the maritime sector. The project, titled ‘Global Shipping Book & Claims System Design’ aims at taking the first steps in defining a public and recognized system for pricing green seaborne transport.
“This project will deep-dive into the benefits and set-up needs required to build a system that matches supply and demand for green cargo shipments. A voluntary Book & Claim system helps shipowners sailing in limited geographies, such as Denmark, to sell their green cargo offerings to customers around the world in a fair and responsible way – a strong incentive encouraging shipowners to take the strategic leap and deciding to invest in the more costly alternative fuels and ships needed,” Sara Åhlén Björk, Chief Economist at the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, explained.
GAC Norway onboard hydrogen energy research project
Shipping and logistics company GAC Norway, part of GAC Group, has joined Norwegian hydrogen energy project HyValue, as part of its commitment to sustainability and accelerating decarbonisation across the wider maritime industry.
The project is being led by NORCE, one of Norway’s largest independent research institutes, and will receive funding of NOK 15 million ($1.5 million) per year until 2030 from the Norwegian government’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. HyValue aims to develop knowledge, methodology, and innovative solutions for hydrogen energy carriers to build and support a competitive hydrogen energy sector.
Now, GAC will use its knowledge of low carbon and sustainable bunker fuels to support the HyValue initiative for the development of strategies for the storage, handling and bunkering of hydrogen in maritime applications. It will also assist with the development of maritime logistics and supply chain mechanisms, as well as understanding regulations and financial incentives to promote hydrogen as an alternative fuel source for shipping.
Offshore wind to power sustainable aviation fuel production
Vattenfall and St1 have signed a Letter of Intent to develop a fossil-free value chain for production of synthetic electro fuel from offshore wind, with the next step being conducting a feasibility study into bringing the project to life in 2029 and gradually growing towards the target of one million cubic meters.
Within the partnership, Vattenfall aims to develop an offshore wind power-based hydrogen supply infrastructure on the west coast of Sweden and St1 plans to produce one million cubic metres of electro fuels, primarily targeted for sustainable aviation fuel, using the green hydrogen. “The development and optimisation of value chains based on offshore wind and fossil-free hydrogen is an interesting way forward. Our strong and growing Swedish offshore wind development portfolio of currently more than 20 TWh offers ample opportunities”, said Anna Borg, President and CEO of Vattenfall.
SeaShuttle hydrogen-fuelled containership project wins Enova funding
SeaShuttle, the ambitious project to build two hydrogen-powered, remotely controlled and autonomous-ready containerships, has secured NOK 150 million (€15 million) in funding from Norwegian state enterprise Enova. The bold scheme, led by Dutch multimodal transport and logistics group Samskip and the U.S.-based marine robotics specialist Ocean Infinity, envisages two SeaShuttle ships operating emissions-free between Oslo Fjord and Rotterdam, with each powered by a 3.2MW hydrogen fuel cell.
The funding means the partners can move forward to contract the two new 500 TEU ships installed with the main propulsion solution that can be adapted to run on hydrogen fuel. A diesel-electric propulsion plant will be on board as backup. Enova, which operates under Norway’s Ministry of Climate and Environment, promotes a shift towards more environmentally friendly energy consumption and production, as well as technologies based on sustainable energy.
Combined wind and wave energy project gets €1.9 million EUDP grant
Danish clean energy technology start-up Exowave has secured a €1.9 million grant from the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program (EUDP) for its project that combines wind and wave energy.
The grant will be used for the development of the company’s demonstration plant that will be located at a water depth of 14 meters in the North Sea. Exowave and wind turbine supplier Siemens Gamesa have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to develop a combined wind and wave energy farm of respectively 588 MW + 250 MW in 2026.
According to the start-up, with this recent award, the development of its wave energy technology can continue its development. The Exowave wave energy technology is based on the oscillating wave surge converter that extracts the kinetic energy from the ocean waves through bottom-hinged flaps. The technology can be coupled with complementary market solutions to produce green electricity, cooling of data centres, fresh water for households, agricultural and industry use.
“We are very pleased that the next phase of our technology development will also be anchored in Denmark in a development environment that will strengthen not only the Danish growth layer within wave energy, but also the entire offshore sector which in these years must move jobs and investments from the old fossil offshore energy sector to new green jobs at sea within the next generation of renewable energy,” said Martin Dahl, chairman of the board at Exowave.
“Exowave has an exponential development and learning curve in the goal of reaching 250 MW of wave power in the North Sea by 2030 and involves the most experienced and visionary specialist competencies in offshore, green energy and new technology. ” Semco Maritime is the EPCI contractor for the project, while Offshore Center Danmark, MDT, DanWEC and Aalborg University are also participating.
Vattenfall wants to build world’s first offshore hydrogen cluster
Vattenfall has submitted a bid in the Hollandse Kust West offshore wind tender in the Netherlands. According to the details of the company’s plan, unveiled in July, the project Vattenfall proposes to build would see Netherlands becoming the home of the world’s first offshore green hydrogen cluster. Vattenfall has filed a proposal for both sites offered by the Dutch Government at the Hollandse Kust West (HKW) area: VI and VII. At HKW VII, the developer wants to integrate a 45 MW hydrogen cluster into an offshore wind farm, with three turbines equipped with electrolysers.
The three turbines would accommodate containers, placed on special platforms and filled with electrolyser modules, transformers and batteries. The hydrogen produced by the cluster would be transported via a pipeline to the Port of Rotterdam and fed into the hydrogen network there. The hydrogen will then be transported to users via a network of pipes – in the same way as with natural gas, according to Vattenfall.
The plan in the Netherlands builds upon the work Vattenfall is doing at its Aberdeen offshore wind farm, also known as the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC), where the company is developing the world’s first hydrogen-producing offshore wind turbine, with the electrolyser sited directly onto an existing operational turbine. In May, the company secured funding for this green hydrogen pilot project from the Scottish Government. Now, Vattenfall wants to use Hollandse Kust West as a springboard for taking the next step and connecting multiple hydrogen turbines. “We want to show that the next step is already within reach and that we can produce offshore hydrogen on a large scale”, said Daan van Eijkel, Vattenfall’s bid manager who prepared the bid for HKW VII. “Thanks to the ‘island mode’, hydrogen turbines will eventually be self-sufficient, so there will be no need to connect to the electricity grid”.
Vattenfall is one of several developers that revealed their bids in the latest Dutch offshore wind tender, and not the only one planning the integration with hydrogen production. The partnership between Shell and Eneco, as well as the one between Ørsted and TotalEnergies, and RWE have included green hydrogen production in their Hollandse Kust West proposals. However, Vattenfall is the only one announcing the development of an offshore hydrogen cluster comprising single wind turbines equipped with elecrolysers.
Subsea 7 opens new office in South Korea
Subsea 7 has opened a new office in Seoul, South Korea, as it aims to better support the local offshore wind market. According to Subsea 7, South Korea is emerging to be an important market for both fixed and floating offshore wind and the move is set to support the country in achieving its ambitious targets.
“From our new office in Korea we are able to better support our current efforts on several major offshore wind prospects and those we expect in the future,” said Daniel Cho, Subsea 7’s managing director in South Korea.
“We can connect with all stakeholders to further establish ourselves in Korea and to help develop a sustainable offshore wind industry.” South Korea does not have any commercial-scale offshore wind farms in operation and, besides the 60 MW Seonam demonstrator, it is home to the Tamra offshore wind farm which has a capacity of 30 MW.
France to get hydrogen barge for electrification of ships at berth
Améthyste, ArianeGroup, Cetim, HDF Energy, Rubis Terminal and Sofresid engineering have teamed up to develop a multi-service power barge ELEMANTA H2, designed to supply green electricity and hydrogen to large ships, reducing their polluting emissions by more than 80% during port calls.
The project partners have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deploy mobile solutions providing, from green or low-carbon hydrogen, cold ironing services complementing the electrical grid, for container ships, cruise ships or tankers. ELEMANTA H2 will also enable hydrogen bunkering to meet the refueling needs of future hydrogen ships. ELEMANTA H2 aims to contribute to the decarbonization of port activities. The partners have identified the Port of Rouen and the Rubis Terminal location as a pioneer site because of its strategic position close to Paris. With the support of Normandie Energies and the port operator HAROPA, a demonstration barge will embed a high-power hydrogen fuel cell system manufactured in France by HDF Energy. A high-pressure green hydrogen storage system will cover the need for autonomy during port calls.
The international consortium behind the FLOating RAdar (FLORA) project has held the kick-off meeting to formalize the start of a scheme that will develop and demonstrate an industrial-scale prototype of a multi-purpose ocean station with renewable energy generation and operational oceanography capabilities, dubbed the FLORA Ocean Station.
Equipped with a novel sensor suite for bird and biodiversity data acquisition, the FLORA O.S. will be deployable as a low environmental impact system, according to developers which received funding for the project via European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). As an automated data acquisition tool, the FLORA O.S. is expected to accelerate oceanic multi-use by facilitating marine spatial planning and consenting for the offshore renewable energy industry, like floating and fixed offshore wind. The station’s power generation system will be hybridized with wave and solar energy, thus making the system more reliable as a remote oceanic sensor in different marine environments.
The Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation and Sinbad Marine Services have proposed a floating wind farm to be built more than 50 kilometres offshore Donegal, Ireland, and have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Swedish floating wind developer and technology provider, Hexicon, to bring the project to realisation.
The partners plan to submit an application for Phase Two Marine Area Consent (MAC) under the new Marine Area Planning Act in Ireland and intend to use part of the energy generated by the floating wind farm – which is planned to have a capacity of up to 2 GW – to produce green fuels such as hydrogen or ammonia.
The green fuels could be used to power the fishing fleet whilst also contributing to energy security for the port and local community, an initiative that will require some 6,400 tonnes of hydrogen annually. The remainder of the energy produced by the floating wind farm would be connected to the national grid and contribute to Ireland’s target of 5 GW from offshore energy by 2030.
The partnership says that it is predicated on a ‘new approach’ which sees local fishermen engaged and influencing the development process from the onset. “This is the first time in offshore wind that key players from several fundamentally-opposed sectors have come together to collaborate on a project with a common objective”, the three parties stated in their joint press release.
Vestas to test hydrogen-powered crew transfer vessel at Norther offshore wind farm
Vestas, in collaboration with Windcat Workboats, is launching a pilot program to explore how a hydrogen-powered crew transfer vessel (CTV) can help reduce carbon emissions from offshore service operations. Developed by Windcat Workboats and its sister company CMB.Tech, who recently said this was the world’s first hydrogen-powered CTV, the vessel features dual-fuel engines supplied by MAN Engines and is capable of being powered by hydrogen in combination with marine gas oil.
The solution will be tested at the Norther offshore wind farm, located in the Belgian North Sea, and is planned to launch on 15 July and run until the end of the year. Vestas said that the programme will offer the company the chance to explore the most scalable approaches to incorporate hydrogen into its operational setup. The goal of the trial will be to collect insights into the opportunities and limitations of hydrogen-powered vessels in daily operations. “Hard to abate sectors, such as shipping, will be the final frontier in our global journey towards decarbonisation. Hydrogen is a crucial technology to advance this journey, which is why Vestas is eager to test its potential to reduce emissions from our service operations,” said Christian Venderby, Executive Vice President, Service at Vestas. According to Vestas, the new CTV holds the potential to generate CO2 savings of 158 tonnes, an estimated saving of 37 per cent fewer carbon emissions in comparison to a traditional vessel, which is expected to be validated during the pilot programme. The vessel, named Hydrocat 48, will initially be powered mostly by grey hydrogen due to a lack of available green hydrogen in the amounts needed, said Vestas.
ESL Shipping receives €20 million for electric hybrid vessels
Finnish shipping company ESL Shipping, part of Aspo, has signed a €20 million loan agreement with Nordic Investment Bank (NIB). As informed, the 10-year loan will support ESL Shipping’s investment in a series of six new energy-efficient electric hybrid 5,350 dwt vessels, a project first announced in September 2021. New 1A ice class electric hybrid vessels will feature high cargo capacity, advanced technology and innovation.
The greenhouse gas emissions, including CO2, of the new vessels, will decrease by almost 50% compared to existing ships, making the vessels the most efficient in the world in their size class, ESL Shipping claims. The vessels’ battery packs, shoreside electricity solution and electric hybrid use enable completely emission-free and noise-free port calls. Ships can also arrive and leave the port with only electric power. “We are pleased to have this loan agreement signed with Nordic Investment Bank, an organization that shares our values and commitment to driving sustainable solutions,” Mikki Koskinen, Managing Director of ESL Shipping, commented.
“With this loan, we support the decarbonisation of the shipping industry, enabling wider value chain impact on environmentally friendly transportation. ESL Shipping is demonstrating increased capacity and productivity, while at the same time supporting the transition towards low-carbon future,“ André Küüsvek, NIB President and CEO, said. The new vessels will be built at Chowgule and Company Private Limited shipyard in India. The first unit is planned to enter service in third quarter of 2023.
Electrification oil and gas platforms could curb emissions up to 87%
UK’s regulator North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has found that its offshore electrification competition studies underline the importance of cross-industry collaboration, as the concepts presented by the three winners of its £1 million competition highlight the potential for cost-effective electrification of oil and gas platforms using a mix of renewable and conventional power sources.
According to the winners of the competition launched to accelerate the electrification of oil and gas assets in the North Sea, cost-efficient emissions reductions of up to 87 per cent on offshore oil and gas platforms could be achieved using alternative power sources. The studies – by Orcadian Energy and partners (Crondall, Enertechnos, NSMP, Petrofac and Wärtsilä), Orsted and Neptune Energy, and Katoni Engineering – demonstrated concepts which do not require power from shore, instead, these studies create standalone power systems using renewable power, which can be easily complemented by power cables from onshore.
