Bibby Marine signs contract to build zero-emissions ‘eCSOV’

The electric commissioning service operation vessel (eCSOV) will be built at Gondan’s Asturias shipyard and is due to be delivered in 2026. 

The eCSOV, which was designed in collaboration with UK-based ship designers Longitude, will have a powerful battery pack complemented by dual-fuel methanol engines. 

The vessel will have what Bibby described as “a spacious insulated warehouse and climate controlled electrical store” with “industry-leading equipment” and provide “top-tier accommodation.”

To facilitate zero-emission operations, the eCSOV will have high-voltage offshore charging facilities for rapid recharging. It will be able to operate solely on battery power for more than 16 hours between charging cycles.

Bibby Marine chief executive Nigel Quinn said, “As a UK-owned company, we are pleased this vessel will be the first UK-designed SOV and a UK-flagged vessel. We will continue to work alongside our established supply chain and local academia, to ensure UK shipyards are engaged, and have the opportunity to learn, throughout the process. We want this project to support the ambition to turn the UK into the world’s number one centre for green technology.

“The delivery of this vessel has the potential to be a game-changer for our industry, accelerating our path to net-zero. The project will demonstrate that clean ships can be built at the same total cost of ownership as a conventional, fossil-burning vessel, coupled with significantly reduced operating costs.”

The project is part of the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) scheme, funded by the UK Department for Transport and delivered by Innovate UK. ZEVI is part of the Department’s UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme, a £206-M initiative focused on developing the technology necessary to decarbonise the UK domestic maritime sector.

After a tendering process involving a number of yards in the UK and overseas, Gondan was selected by Bibby Marine for an offer that the company said, “stood out in terms of timeline, budget and quality.”