A development partnership agreed between OS Energy Marine Power Solutions and Ecomar Propulsion Ltd will see the development of a new zero emission propulsion system for wind farm support vessels.
German company OS Energy has eight multipurpose vessels deployed across Europe and the Arctic. Ecomar Propulsion, based in the UK has been contracted to develop clean propulsion for the 46-metre, Danish flagged, MV Søloven. O.S. Energy’s fleet ranges in size from 390 to 450 Tonnes with operations in the UK, Germany, and Denmark.
Ecomar Propulsion have been developing zero emission propulsion systems for shipping over 5 years with capabilities in pure electric and hybrid hydrogen systems. Ecomar will provide OS Energy with a retrofit capability which will reduce each vessels emissions to zero whilst continuing to provide long range capabilities and operational performance.
Eugene Bari, Managing Director of Ecomar Propulsion said, “By designing replacement propulsion for the Søloven we are able to extend the life and value of the ship without compromising its operations. We are enabling large support vessels to go green at a reasonable cost and with minimal impact on OS Energy’s income. OS Energy is a fantastic partner for us; they are forward thinking, proactive and committed to providing the best service they can for their clients. The refit is expected to be undertaken in 2022, this project will extend the vessel life by a further 5 years and will prove that it is possible for large vessels to operate successfully in extreme marine environments.”
Martin Nürnberg, Director of OS Energy said, “We hope that this project will demonstrate that it is possible to make clean propulsion a viable option for commercial shipping and that we are a company with great ambition at the cutting edge of new technology. Converting old vessels to clean energy presents us with a clear competitive advantage and saves scrapping ships which would otherwise become useless.”
