The charging station at the Nobelwind wind farm provides clean electricity directly from wind turbines to boats, helping to reduce the impact on the environment.
Parkwind, the Belgian offshore wind energy company, installs the world's first wind power charging station for boats, Interesting Engineering reported on July 23. The new charging station operating at the Nobelwind wind farm allows the farm's transport and maintenance vessels to directly use green energy produced on site, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Parkwind says this method allows boats to connect to the charging line and maintain a steady state while charging, regardless of ocean currents.
The Nobelwind wind farm is located in Belgian waters in the North Sea, about 47 km from shore. This facility includes 50 turbines distributed over an area of 19,8 km2, providing electricity to about 190.000 households.
The modules of the new charging station are transported by ship from the harbor to the designated offshore location, then lifted and installed by crane. Assembly, connection and startup took place in less than two days. Parkwind said the charging station has been tested successfully.
“We are committed to making every operation as sustainable as possible and this is a breakthrough for our maintenance vessels. Now they can access green energy directly from wind turbines while working,” said Kristof Verlinden, head of operations and maintenance at Parkwind.
The station is designed to support Crew Transport Vessels (CTVs) charging up to 2 MW and Service Operations Vessels (SOVs) charging up to 8 MW. The station can also power conventional boats, significantly reducing emissions from onboard diesel generators. The station's charging technology was developed and deployed by MJR, an electrical and automation company in the UK, in cooperation with Parkwind.
Parkwind claims the new system reduces environmental impact, is cost-effective, convenient and reliable, eliminating the need for anchoring and installing submarine cables. All of the station's sensitive equipment is located away from the splash zone (an area located immediately near the water surface, often subject to wave action and prone to erosion) and remains easily accessible for maintenance.
*Source: VnExpress