Charging Electric and Hybrid Vessels at Sea

In 2018, IMO adopted an initial strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships, setting out a vision which confirms IMO’s commitment to reducing GHG emissions from international shipping and to phasing them out as soon as possible.

Based on the next steps to implement the strategy to decarbonize international vessels, it is expected that many vessels would become electrically driven or hybrid. In both cases, the long distances to attend offshore stations and wind turbines can be challenging for the vessels’ batteries autonomy.

This challenge is seeking solutions to allow vessels to recharge at sea, using the power available from the offshore substation. With that, service vessels (Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) and Service Operation Vessels (SOVs)) can recharge while offshore, ensuring their presence offshore is longer without returning for charging at a port.

Optimising Tools for Port and Vessel Operations for Low-Carbon Fuels

In 2018, IMO adopted an initial strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships, setting out a vision which confirms IMO’s commitment to reducing GHG emissions from international shipping and to phasing them out as soon as possible.

Based on the next steps to implement the strategy to decarbonize international vessels, it is expected that many vessels will change to use low carbon fuels.

This challenge is seeking solutions for planning and optimization tools for port and vessel operations (Barges, Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs)and Service Operation Vessels(SOVs)) considering the transition to low carbon fuels.

Proposed planning and optimization tools should be capable of analysing both current vessel technologies and potential future vessel technology developments expected on the industry.

Optimise Development and O&M of Offshore Wind Farms with Autonomous Solutions

RWE has recently announced the Growing Green strategy with a plan to invest 50 billion euros to achieve 50 GW of capacity by 2030. Offshore wind will play a major role in those ambitions with an aim of 8 GW of offshore wind capacity in 2030. Continuous improvement is one of the key values of RWE, and there is a promising potential in making operations and maintenance activities more efficient and with lower carbon emissions, while ensuring safety at the same time. We believe autonomous technologies will playa fundamental role in this development and we are therefore looking for autonomous solutions for multiple use cases and the best way to integrate them into wind farm site investigations, construction and O&M.

Measure and Reduce Ecological Impact of Wind Farm Construction and Operation on Birds

RWE has recently announced the Growing Green strategy with a plan to invest 50 billion euros to achieve 50 GW of capacity by 2030. With offshore wind growth being a core part of this ambition, it is important to measure, evaluate and mitigate the impacts construction and operation of wind farms have on the surrounding environment.

RWE is engaging with partners around the world to minimise potential negative ecological impacts of offshore windfarms and use the learnings for future projects. In the UK, RWE is an integral part of the research programmes ORJIP (Offshore Renewables Joint Industry Programme)and OWSMRF (Offshore Wind Strategic Monitoring and Research Forum)to further drive industry know-how on environmental topics.

RWE has been driving developments and innovations within ecology across its wind farm portfolio and would like to take it further to make sure the rapid expansion of offshore wind happens without negative impacts on the environment.

In this challenge, we concentrate on the impact of offshore windfarm construction and operation on birds. Currently, pre-construction monitoring of kittiwakes and other species is ongoing at Sofia using LiDAR technology to capture information on flight height, flight speed and age class, however we continue to look for further innovations for Sofia and other UK projects in the areas described below to better understand bird behaviour and to mitigate any negative impacts.