Offshore charger for electric boats completes sea trials off Scottish coast
The world's first offshore charging station for electric boats has successfully completed sea trials in the northeast of Scotland.
The Oasis Power Buoy, an offshore mooring and charging station powered by green energy, has been put through the first in a series of rigorous tests at the Port of Cromarty Firth.
Aberdeen firm Oasis Marine Power, which designed and developed the buoy, said the initial stage of testing had gone well.
Originallydesignedtoservice crew transfer vessels for offshore wind farms, the device will be capable of charging any hybrid or fully electric boats. It is the first of its kind globally to reach sea trials and has the potential to revolutionise renewable energy use for the maritime industry.
Diesel-poweredmaintenance vessels account for the largest share of carbon dioxide emissionsfromanoperationalwind farm. The Power Buoy makes zero-emission boats viable for the industry, helping tackle climate change and bring down costs.
George Smith, director of Oasismarinepower,whichspecialisesinrenewableenergyfor the marine environment, said: “We have proven that the conceptisviableandarenowworking to optimise the design.
“What we have achieved is a world first, and this is a great progression towards dramatically reducing the carbon footprint of the maritime industry.”
The buoys will initially be installedatoffshorewindfarms where electric and hybrid crew transfervesselscantopuptheir batteries at sea, making them a fully credible alternative to diesel-powered boats.
They will receive power from the wind turbines or other renewable energy sources to provide zero-emission energy and have a dual function as an offshore mooring and charging point.
The Oasis Power Buoy will now undergo further testing and optimisation, including sustained sea trials.
Scotland has six operational
offshore wind farms or demonstration projects: Robin Rigg in the Solway Firth; Beatrice in the Moray Firth; Aberdeen Bay; Levenmouth in the
Firth of Forth; Hywind off the Aberdeenshire coast; and Kincardine,alsoinaberdeenshire.
But the sector is set for a massive expansion in coming
years, with around 25 gigawatts of new offshore wind due to come online.