Longitude Engineering have been selected to support a consortium led by vessel owner and operator Bibby Marine for the design of a zero-emission electric Service Operation Vessel (eSOV).
The vessel project has recently been awarded £20 million in UK government funding under the Zero Emission Vessel and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition. The ZEVI project aims to accelerate the development of clean maritime solutions, and specifically of battery electric vessels and charging infrastructure. Having developed the concept for the consortium, Longitude Engineering are developing the design to Approval in Principle level for verification of the energy storage system and methanol system philosophy. This phase also includes design development and support for shipyard pricing.
The eSOV is based on Longitude Engineering’s OSD-IMT9605 design. The vessel will be powered by a hybrid 20MWh battery system and dual-fuel methanol generators for back-up and offshore charging capability. The vessel will provide support to offshore construction, operations and maintenance activities in the offshore renewables sector in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, in particular supporting Europe’s growing offshore wind market.
The consortium behind the eSOV is made up of Port of Aberdeen, ORE Catapult, Kongsberg, DNV, Shell and Liverpool John Moores University, as well as Bibby Marine.
