A Successful Simulation Marks a Milestone in the Ocean Charger Project

Enabling Sustainable Operations

The Ocean Charger Project has been making progress. SEAONICS is leading the way in work package 1, and we recently reached a milestone with a successful digital simulator test at OSC. This event was a collective effort, bringing project partners together and allowing REM Power's vessel and crane operator to prepare for next year's operations on a floating windmill.

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The digital simulator testing was a valuable phase of Ocean Charger Work Package 1, which SEAONICS is leading. Here, we fine-tuned our solution and received reassurance that we are on the right track for when real-world conditions will test our preparations on the pioneering vessel Rem Power in the North Sea in March 2024.

From Design to Execution

“The successful simulation is a confidence booster as we gear up for what lies ahead. Now we have started the production, and this marks the transition from ideas and designs to actual execution” says Project Manager Espen Sjåstad.

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The power of cluster collaboration shines brightly in the Ocean Charger Project. It's a demonstration to what's possible when different companies come together with a shared vision of innovation in the maritime industry. The project is led by Vard Design working together with sister companies Seaonics and Vard Electro, partners Rem Offshore, Solstad Offshore, SINTEF Energi, SINTEF Ocean, DigiCat, Sustainable Energy, Equinor, Source Galileo Norge, Corvus Energy,Plug, Shoreline, Sustainable Energy, University of Bergen, Norce and MaritimeCleanTech.

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“At SEAONICS, our expertise is in electrical top-side equipment. Our involvement in the Ocean Charger Project underscores our commitment to being at the forefront of the technology in this field. We're making offshore operations more sustainable, one step at a time” says Managing Director, Håkon Fauske.

The Green Platform Initiative

In December 2022, the Ocean Charger Concept was awarded 38 million NOK through the Norwegian Government's support scheme The Green Platform Initiative. The Norwegian Minister of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, Jan Christian Vestre, launched the new project at a press conference in Oslo: "We are carrying out the largest restructuring of the Norwegian economy ever. Everything will become greener. It is private companies that must lead the way in this transformation, with the public sector as a supporter," Vestre said.

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In the coming years, a substantial new maritime infrastructure will be developed and built for the offshore wind industry in Norway. Based on the development for other segments, batteries have proven to be the most mature technology for zero or low-emission vessels. This technology constitutes the basis for developing the Ocean Charger project.

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By connecting vessels to the power grid in the wind farm and charging batteries regularly, the operational availability of emission-free vessel operations will be secured. The aim is to power operations at the field without using any additional energy sources.