Preston, UK, 14 December 2021. A team of Expleo engineers have completed an on-board survey of the SOV Bibby WaveMaster1 as part of a government-funded feasibility study to find ‘green marine’ retrofit solutions.
It follows Expleo’s win in the DfT Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) in July, alongside partners Bibby Marine and Houlder. The recently completed survey of WaveMaster1 is a crucial step in gaining a detailed understanding of the service operation vessel (SOV) and opportunities for making retro-fit improvements to reduce its emissions while servicing off-shore wind farms.
The survey team used 3D scanning equipment to create a complete picture of the required areas of the vessel, in addition to carrying out a number of visual assessments.
The team is looking at various ingenious technology driven solutions to significantly reduce the vessel’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe), including scoping out alternative ways to use internal combustion engines, a variety of full and partial battery solutions and reviewing a range of new fuel cell technologies.
The technology solutions developed through the study will not be limited to the SOV, as they offer the potential to benefit multiple vessels types in both the commercial marine and naval defence sectors.
Expleo’s Marine Chief Engineer and CMDC project lead, Paul Burns, said: “Winning this competition alongside our partners is helping to position Expleo’s growing marine business as a leader in decarbonising the marine sector, which has similar targets to automotive and aero in terms of achieving net zero by 2050.
“This survey represents the first tangible exercise of the feasibility study and will provide us with invaluable data upon which to test models and build the case for ROI across the variety of solutions we are exploring.
“We are really excited to be working on something with far reaching potential and proud to be contributing to decarbonisation in the industry.“
Clean, green marine
Read our whitepaper and discover more about the challenges and opportunities that the race for clean, green marine presents the industry.
