Bibby Marine eSOV Project Winner in UK Government Zero Emmission Vessels Competition

Bibby Marine with partners Shell Marine, DNV, Kongsberg Maritime, Liverpool John Moores University, ORE Catapult and the Port of Aberdeen have been awarded an over GBP20 million grant from the UK Government, towards building the first electric SOV (eSOV) in the UK.

This 90m electric vessel, would operate completely emission-free in-field and would feature a sizable battery unlike any installed on a DP vessel before, with dual-fuel methanol-powered engines as back-ups.

SOV’s service the windfarm industry, supporting the maintenance operations of offshore wind farms (OWF). Battery power is the natural solution for an SOV operating in an OWF – , essentially a giant powerplant. The ship will be ready for offshore charging, which will give it the ability to operate fully electric, before recharging at night, therefore completing up to a full two-week cycle of in-field operations, emissions-free. For long transits, the engines will be in use and will still have a 90% reduction in emissions compared to a conventional vessel, saving the taxpayer approximately £787,500py in damage to the environment compared to a conventional SOV. The near shore operations of this vessel will be completed under battery-power only, which also reduces the impact of emissions on public health.

The announcement made today, Monday, 11 September, at London International Shipping Week, sees the Bibby Marine led consortium of Port of Aberdeen, Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, Kongsberg, DNV, Shell and Liverpool John Moores University working in collaboration. The award comprises of match funding to build this pioneering vessel – the first of its kind and a huge step towards achieving the marine industry’s net-zero ambitions.

The eSOV, with a powerful battery system and dual fuel methanol engines for back up, along with associated shore-charging facilities, will showcase leadership in UK content and design, deliver emission and cost savings.

Bibby Marine CEO, Nigel Quinn said: “We are excited to receive this funding and to work with our partners to launch the world’s first eSOV – the first new vessel for Bibby Marine in five years. This project is the natural progression of our decarbonisation journey, which began in 2019, to find the right solution to achieve our net-zero goals.

“Designed in the UK, the vessel will be a game changer for our industry – supporting its ambitions to turn the UK into the world’s number one centre for green technology, create jobs and accelerate our path to net zero, by harnessing the best of British technologies. The vessel also offers the opportunity for customers to increase local content and will shine a light on UK innovation.”

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