A Vision for a Cleaner Marine Sector
Imagine a world where our oceans are free from the dark smoke of diesel engines, replaced by clean, quiet, and efficient electric vessels. MJR Power and Automation is turning this vision into reality, leading the charge in decarbonising the marine sector. The maritime industry stands at a pivotal moment, driven by the urgent need to mitigate climate change and comply with international regulations. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) aims to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2050, pushing the sector towards sustainable alternatives.
The Offshore Wind Industry's Role in Decarbonisation
The offshore wind industry is uniquely positioned to spearhead this transition. Offshore wind farms require a fleet of vessels for construction, maintenance, and operations, which have historically depended on fossil fuels. By adopting electric and hybrid vessels, the industry can significantly reduce its carbon footprint. This shift not only curbs emissions but also enhances operational efficiency and lowers maintenance costs. Paul Cairns, Managing Director at MJR Power and Automation, underscores the importance of this shift. He highlights how the UK's offshore wind industry can act as a springboard for broader maritime decarbonisation. Cairns points out that converting or replacing marine gas oil (MGO) fueled CTVs with vessels powered by clean fuels could save between 1,278 to 2,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually per vessel replaced.
Pioneering Initiatives: The Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC)
The Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) is a significant initiative aimed at accelerating the decarbonisation of the UK’s maritime sector. Funded by the UK Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, the CMDC supports innovative projects leveraging offshore wind solutions for maritime decarbonisation. In September 2021, five UK projects, including MJR Power & Automation's Offshore Charging System, were awarded GBP 3.3 million (around EUR 3.9 million) through the CMDC. These projects focus on using clean energy to revolutionise the maritime fuel mix, whether by directly using cleanly generated electricity or converting it into combustible fuels like green hydrogen.
MJR Power and Automation: Leading Innovation
Headquartered in the North East of England, MJR Power and Automation is a pioneering force in the marine and offshore energy sectors. With over 25 years of experience, MJR specialises in delivering cutting-edge engineering services and products to the marine, offshore, and renewable energy industries. Their comprehensive services include engineering consultancy, turnkey design, procurement, construction, installation, and service support for bespoke electrical power conversion and automation solutions.
Paul Cairns, Managing Director at MJR Power and Automation, brings over 35 years of experience in delivering complex marine and offshore electrical power systems. A Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering Science & Technology (FIMarEST), Cairns is a leading voice in the push towards decarbonisation and the electrification of the marine sector. He says,
"Blackfish Engineering has been an invaluable partner throughout the development of the Offshore Charging System. Their contributions from initial development through to detailed design and on-site offshore support have enabled us to get this technology from concept to reality in record time, right first time and on budget."
The Offshore Charging System: A Game Changer
Technology Overview
The Offshore Charging System is an innovative solution that enables electric and hybrid vessels to recharge their batteries using power generated by offshore wind turbines. This technology is a game-changer for the offshore wind industry, as it allows vessels to operate sustainably, reducing their reliance on fossil fuels. Unlike traditional charging systems that have connections exposed to seawater, this "in air" offshore charging system ensures increased reliability and longevity by avoiding the harsh marine environment.
You can find a two minute video of this game-changing system by clicking the thumbnail below.
Operational Effectiveness
No longer an R&D project, the Offshore Charging System has demonstrated its operational effectiveness through extensive testing and real-world validation.
Key operational features include:
Hands-Free Connection and Disconnection: Enables simple, fast, and safe hands-free connection and disconnection, eliminating the need for manual handling.
Free-Floating Capability: Allows for effective tension control, catenary management, single-point mooring, and vessel following.
Overload Protection: Includes effective overload protection, automatic and manual emergency release, recovery, and reconnection without damage to the connector or the requirement for cleaning, drying, or overhauling.
Safe Power Transfer: Ensures the safe transfer of power from the wind farm to the vessel.
Product Development Timeline
Concept Development (2021)
The journey of the Offshore Charging System began with the initial concept development phase, where MJR Power and Automation with Blackfish Engineering collaboration captured requirements and developed initial designs. This phase involved extensive research and brainstorming sessions on the technologies systems and subsystems to create a viable solution that could meet the demanding requirements of the offshore wind industry.
Prototyping and Early Development (2022)
Following the concept development, the project moved into the prototyping phase. Detailed designs were created, and prototypes were built and tested. Blackfish Engineering played a crucial role in this phase, providing mechanical design, systems integration, and project engineering support. Their expertise ensured that the prototypes met the necessary standards and were ready for further testing.
Full-Scale Harbour Trials (March 2023)
In March 2023, the Offshore Charging System underwent full-scale harbour trials at the Port of Blyth. These trials were designed to validate the system's performance in a controlled environment before moving to offshore testing. The trials involved testing the mechanical, electrical, and control systems, ensuring that each component functioned correctly and reliably.
Successful Offshore Trial at Parkwind (July 2024)
The final phase of the product development timeline was the offshore validation project conducted at Parkwind's Nobelwind wind farm in July 2024. This validation project was a significant commercial milestone for MJR, demonstrating the Offshore Charging System's capability to operate in real-world offshore conditions. The testing included connecting the system to Parkwind's offshore substation, verifying the system's performance, and ensuring that it could safely and efficiently charge vessels at sea.
Kristof Verlinden, Head of O&M at Parkwind, explained the impact:
"We are committed to making all of our activities as sustainable as possible, and this is a game changer for our maintenance vessels, which can now access green energy directly from our wind turbines as they carry out their work. The trial proved the system can transfer electricity from a wind farm to the vessels safely without any disruption to the farm.”
Blackfish Engineering's Integral Role
Blackfish Engineering has been an invaluable partner throughout the development of the Offshore Charging System. Our contributions spanned several key areas:
Concept and Initial Development
Blackfish Engineering was involved early in the development project, helping to capture initial requirements and support with the development of MJR’s conceptual solutions that formed the foundation of the Offshore Charging System. Our expertise in mechanical design and systems integration was crucial in creating a viable solution that could meet the needs of the offshore wind industry.
Detailed Design and Prototyping
During the detailed design and prototyping phase, Blackfish Engineering provided critical support in developing the mechanical systems of the Offshore Charging System. We ensured that the prototypes were built to high standards and were ready for rigorous testing.
On-Site and Offshore Support
As the project progressed to the testing phases, Blackfish Engineering continued to play a vital role. We provided on-site and offshore support, supporting the installation and commissioning of the Offshore Charging System during harbour trials and offshore tests. Our expertise in offshore operations helped to ensure that the system was correctly implemented and fully operational.
The Value of Trusted Engineering Partnerships
The successful development and deployment of the Offshore Charging System highlights the value of working with a trusted engineering partner like Blackfish Engineering. From detailed design through to manufacturing oversight, assembly, commissioning, and deployment, Blackfish provided comprehensive support that was crucial to the project's success.
Want to learn more about how Blackfish Engineering can support you across the product development lifecycle? Click the button below and get in contact.
Blackfish Engineering: We are the Innovators' Engineer
At Blackfish Engineering, we help ocean-renewable-energy (ORE) technology and project developers accelerate their time to market by providing domain-specific engineering expertise throughout the lifecycle of product development and commercial operation. We support our clients with mechanical design, systems integration, and project engineering needs, from early-stage technology innovation through commercial launch and ongoing operation. We provide a scalable engineering resource with highly relevant domain expertise that speeds up time-to-market, reduces project risk, and increases both customer and investor confidence.
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We offer unrivalled ORE domain expertise and agile, scalable engineering design services that help C-suite management, engineers, and product development managers control R&D costs, iterate more efficiently, and bring a minimum viable product (MVP) to market more quickly. Our highly qualified engineering support helps project developers, owners, and investors solve mission-critical engineering challenges and control both technical and economic risks when delivering renewable energy projects.
Lifecycle Support
We provide trusted, domain-relevant engineering support through the entire lifecycle of projects, from feasibility through detailed design, deployment, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning.
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