Bibby Marine introduced it has tapped Longitude Engineering to design its first-of-kind zero-emission electrical service operation vessel (SOV).
The “eSOV” venture, because the venture companions are calling it, was first introduced in September 2023 and not too long ago awarded £20 million underneath the U.Okay.’s Zero Emission Vessel and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competitors as stakeholders throughout the marine and offshore industries attempt for cleaner vessel operations.
Nigel Quinn, Bibby Marine CEO, stated, “This project is the natural progression of our decarbonization journey, as we aim to operate a low or no carbon emission vessel by 2026.
“Designed in the U.K., the vessel will be a game-changer for our industry, and we are delighted to work alongside some of the market leading contractors and suppliers on this project, such as Longitude. Longitude’s expertise in specialised vessel design is vital to us realising our net zero goals and getting our eSOV in the water.”
Having developed the preliminary design, London-based Longitude Engineering is now creating the design to approval in precept (AIP) stage for verification of the vitality storage system and methanol system philosophy. This part additionally contains design growth and assist for shipyard pricing.
The eSOV relies on Longitude Engineering’s OSD-IMT9605 design. The vessel shall be powered by a hybrid 20MWh battery system and dual-fuel methanol turbines for back-up and offshore charging functionality.
The vessel will present ultra-low emission assist to offshore building, operations and upkeep actions within the offshore renewables sector within the U.Okay. and elsewhere in Europe.
Dean Goves, Maritime Design Director at Longitude Engineering, stated, “Whilst development of our renewable energy infrastructure increases, decarbonizing the wider project value chain is also of critical importance to further move the dial on our race to net zero. Studies have been conducted to explore the carbon footprint of marine operations in offshore wind construction. This project is the next step – engineering a solution. It has the opportunity to set the tone for future enhanced decarbonization of vessels involved in offshore operations.”
The Bibby-led consortium contains the Port of Aberdeen, ORE Catapult, Kongsberg, DNV, Shell and Liverpool John Moores University.
