This summer is set to see the world’s first offshore charging points for electric vessels. These will be built and installed on the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farms, situated off the Lincolnshire coast comprising 54 turbines and a capacity of 194 megawatts.

The project of installing the charging points is delivered in partnership with Innovate UK and has funding from the UK Department for Transport. The project aims to use an existing wind farm, along with its infrastructure, to trial electric charge points on wind turbine pillars in order to provide renewable energy to crew transfer vessels (‘CTV’), which are used to maintain and operate offshore wind farms.

How does it work? As an electric CTV (‘eCTV’) connects with the wind turbine, a cable will lower down and attach an electrical charge to the vessel and charge the vessel’s battery.

The offshore wind industry is expanding and the increase of electrical charging points for offshore support vessels will encourage vessel owners to also switch to fully electric or hybrid vessels.

By 2028, the global electric ships market is set to be worth US$ 7.76Bn. With increased regulation facing the shipping industry such as the International Maritime Organisation setting a 2030 target for emissions reductions and net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, we expect growth in electric vessels and offshore charging points with a view to participating in cleaner and greener shipping.

Reed Smith assists a number of well established offshore wind industry clients, but also a growing number of clients new to this area, supporting them with the contractual requirements of the offshore wind industry.