Liverpool maritime specialist Bibby Marine says its zero-emission offshore wind farm support vessel will be ready by 2027 with several ship charterers already expressing interest. Tony McDonough reports
Bibby Marine says its combined battery and green methanol zero-emission offshore wind farm support vessel will be ready for service in 2027.
Liverpool-based Bibby Marine, a division of one of Liverpool’s oldest companies Bibby Line Group, has commissioned shipbuilder Armon to build the electric commissioning service operation vessel (eCSOV) at its yard in Vigo in Spain.
Armon workers began cutting steel for the vessel in January 2025 and, in its latest annual accounts, Bibby Marine says it expects it to be delivered by 2027 with a number of ship charterers already expressing interest.
Supported by a £20m grant from the UK Government, the project is believed to be costing in the region of £40-50m. It will feature a battery system complemented by dual-fuel methanol engines. Bibby hopes it will be the first of a fleet of vessels.
Bibby currently operates two offshore support vessels – Wavemaster Horizon and Wavemaster 1 – which are powered by conventional diesel fuel.
They are floating powerhouses that provide support for offshore facilities such as wind farms and gas and oil fields. They carry up to 90 people for weeks at a time and they have huge power needs.
Each vessel generates 6-7 MW of power. In a year both vessels will use enough energy to power 800 homes and 18m miles of car journeys. It adds up to 14,000 tonnes of CO2.
This new ship will be able to travel up to 130 nautical miles on a full charge and will have the capability to be recharged by the wind farms out at sea. Its 25MWh battery will allow it to operate for up to 20 hours in good weather and up to eight hours in rough seas.
Over the course of its 25-year lifespan it is predicted the eCSOV will save 175,000 tonnes of CO2 compared to the conventional vessels.
Writing in the annual report, Bibby Marine chief executive Nigel Quinn said: “The group is focused on growing its fleet of walk to work vessels focused on low or zero-emission technology given the attractive long-term fundamentals of the offshore wind sector and the increasing demand in the sector to reduce carbon emissions.”
He added: “The vessel is forecast for delivery in 2027. There is already interest from potential charterers, driven by the vessel’s anticipated efficiency, lower exposure to carbon taxes and quiet operations. The vessel has already won a number of awards.”
In the accounts, posted on Companies House in September, Bibby Marine said revenues in the 12 months to December 31, 2024, rose to £36.8m from £21.1m in the previous year. Pre-tax profits were £4.1m, against a pre-tax loss of £4m in 2023.