Action urged to speed introduction of offshore charging technology

In a new position paper, the coalition – which includes offshore wind developers, vessel operators and technology providers – highlights sector-wide benefits of offshore vessel electrification and asks government and regulators to remove barriers to the development of offshore charging, where vessels draw renewable power directly from windfarms. The coalition says this is one of the most promising and cost-effective solutions for reducing emissions from offshore support vessels.

The coalition argues that that although the technology has matured significantly in recent years, barriers to deployment remain. These barriers are no longer technical, it says, but regulatory, commercial and operational.

The paper sets out three key recommendations to accelerate commercial adoption. The included integrating offshore charging into early-stage windfarm development; clarifying and enabling commercial access to offshore electricity; and delivering a full-scale offshore charging demonstrator.

Bibby Marine newbuild fleet director Gavin Forward said, “The technology to enable offshore charging is already here. The challenge now is creating the right regulatory and commercial environment to bring it into widespread use. By addressing these barriers, we can unlock a practical and scalable route to decarbonising offshore wind operations.”

Maritime CleanTech head of innovation Øystein Huglen said, “The maritime sector is integral to global electrification. An increasing number of fully electric maritime operations are becoming commercially viable. Offshore charging is clearly a game changer, especially for service vessels with access to locally-sourced electric energy from in windfarms.”

The position paper was developed collaboratively by organisations across the offshore wind value chain, demonstrating strong industry alignment on the need to move from demonstration to deployment. 

As highlighted previously by OWJ at the 2026 OWJ Conference in London, the industry is now urging policymakers, developers and stakeholders to act on the recommendations to ensure offshore charging can play a central role in achieving net zero targets.