Agreement follows successful design phase of local equipment room
Stillstrom by Maersk has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Semco Maritime to manufacture and deliver one of the most critical elements of its game-changing offshore power and charging solution – a key step in its ambition to decarbonise the maritime sector.
The local equipment room (LER), which controls power, communication and safety across the entire charging infrastructure, is often referred to as its 'nerve centre', as every element of the system connects through it and is governed by it.
Housed inside the LER is the transformer and medium voltage switchgear that deliver offshore-generated power from the wind farm to the vessel, alongside the communications equipment, ventilation and fire safety systems that keep the charger running. The specially designed containerised unit sits on a monopile or hang-off structure at each charging site.
The agreement with Semco Maritime, signed today, Wednesday 23 September, at WindEnergy Hamburg, follows the successful rollout of the LER design phase, which Semco completed earlier this year.
The switchgear and control systems will be supplied by Siemens in a subcontractor capacity. A separate LOI between Semco Maritime and Siemens was also signed during WindEnergy Hamburg.
Completing the design and now moving into manufacture is a major milestone for us. The LER is extremely significant to our solutions as it acts as the nerve centre of our charging system. It controls everything that happens, from how power reaches the vessel to how every safety system talks to each other. Without it, nothing in the system moves.
Working with Semco Maritime through the design phase has allowed us to develop the LER around the practical requirements of offshore installation and operations. Moving into manufacturing brings us another step closer to demonstrating the complete charging solution in an operational environment,' said Gordon Dickson, operations and maintenance lead at Stillstrom UK.
Manufacturing of the LER is planned to take place at Semco Maritime's facility in Esbjerg, Denmark, with completion targeted for spring 2027. Looking ahead, future LER manufacturing could potentially be supported from Semco Maritime's facilities in the UK.
'This milestone reflects the strong collaboration we’ve built with Stillstrom through the design phase, and we’re proud to carry that into manufacturing at our Esbjerg facility. And with Siemens joining as our subcontractor for the switchgear, we have the right partner to deliver on this next step together,' said Stephen Booth, Vice President Renewable Service at Semco Maritime.
Semco Maritime also supported Stillstrom’s recent yard trial in which the business successfully proved that its fully automated cable control is possible while a vessel is operating on dynamic positioning. Semco Maritime’s involvement included setting up the test from its facility in Esbjerg.
With offices in Copenhagen and Aberdeen, Stillstrom is dedicated to decarbonising the maritime sector through offshore power and charging solutions which can be either fully integrated within wind farm structures or through standalone offshore installations.
About Stillstrom by Maersk
Stillstrom by Maersk is dedicated to decarbonising the maritime sector through offshore power and charging solutions:
Its offshore wind charging technology can be either fully integrated within wind farm structures or through standalone offshore installations, allowing fully electric and hybrid service operation vessels to maintain low emissions throughout offshore wind operations, powered by a reliable supply of renewable electricity.
Founded in 2019 as a Maersk innovation project and established as an independent company in 2022, Stillstrom employs more than 30 people across Copenhagen (Denmark) and Aberdeen (UK), concentrating on the UK and Europe’s offshore wind markets.
For more information, visit:https://stillstrom.com
Source: Stillstrom
