Bornholm project maps electric shipping highway
In Denmark, Bornholm Energy Island could turn offshore wind into a charging network for ships, supplying Port of Roenne and proposed Offshore Power Zones along busy Baltic Sea routes, according to a whitepaper from the port, Baltic Energy Island and Stillstrom by Maersk.
Around 60,000 vessels pass Bornholm each year, including 37,000 cargo ships estimated to burn 3 million tonnes of marine gas oil and emit 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. Fully electrifying those cargo vessels would require about 17 TWh annually, equal to production from roughly 4 GW of offshore wind.
The planned 3 GW energy island, expected around 2035, could also overcome Roenne’s limited grid capacity, which currently cannot support required cruise-ship shore power by 2030. The paper proposes offshore charging hubs connected directly to wind farms, allowing ships to plug in while idling or fast-charge during voyages, forming an electric shipping highway from France to Finland.
Category: Sustainable Marine Fuels
