Photo by Georg Eiermann
A coalition of offshore wind developers, vessel operators and technology providers has published a position paper calling on government and regulators to remove the barriers preventing offshore vessel charging from moving beyond demonstration into widespread commercial use.
Offshore charging, where support vessels draw renewable electricity directly from wind farms rather than running on diesel, has been identified as one of the most cost-effective routes to cutting emissions from offshore support vessels. Vessel operations currently account for a significant share of offshore wind lifecycle emissions, making them a priority target for decarbonisation efforts.
Barriers are regulatory, not technical
The coalition, which includes Bibby Marine, offshore wind developers and technology providers, concludes that the technology has now matured sufficiently for deployment at scale. The remaining obstacles, the paper argues, are regulatory, commercial and operational rather than technical.
“The technology to enable offshore charging is already here,” said Gavin Forward, New Build Fleet Director at Bibby Marine. “The challenge now is creating the right regulatory and commercial environment to bring it into widespread use. By addressing these barriers, we can unlock a practical and scalable route to decarbonising offshore wind operations.”
The working group has engaged directly with the Crown Estate, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC) to help develop the policy and commercial frameworks needed to enable deployment at scale.
What the paper recommends
The position paper sets out four areas where action is needed. Policy frameworks across the Crown Estate, DESNZ and the LCCC need to be aligned into a single coordinated pathway. Offshore charging requirements should be embedded at leasing and front-end engineering and design (FEED) stage, before infrastructure decisions are locked in. Clarity is needed on whether offshore-generated electricity can be used legally for vessel charging and operational activities. And a fair pricing model should be introduced to remove commercial uncertainty around accessing that power.
On the final point, the paper specifically calls for Contracts for Difference to cover the use of offshore electricity by marine operations, a change that would remove a key contractual obstacle to broader uptake.
The commercial case
Bibby Marine’s own analysis suggests that over a typical ten-year offshore wind contract, an electric service operation vessel can be significantly cheaper to operate than an equivalent diesel vessel, offering greater long-term energy price stability and reduced exposure to volatile global fuel markets.
The company is developing what it describes as the world’s first electric Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (eCSOV), expected to be in operation by mid-2027. Øystein Huglen, Head of Innovation at Maritime CleanTech, said the wider sector was moving in the same direction: “The maritime sector is integral to the wave of global electrification, and an increasing number of fully electric maritime operations are becoming commercially viable now and in the years ahead. Offshore charging is clearly a game changer, especially for service vessels with access to locally-sourced electric energy from within wind farms.”
The paper was developed collaboratively across the offshore wind value chain. The industry is now pressing policymakers, developers and other stakeholders to act on its recommendations.