Volvo Penta to create world’s first retrofitted electric crew transfer vessel

The diesel engines of a crew transfer vessel (CTV) will be replaced with a zero-emissions Volvo Penta solution to create what the company says will be the world’s first retrofitted electric crew transfer vessel (E-CTV).

The vessel is being developed for sea transportation and crew transit service operator Tidal Transit. The cost of the retrofit is estimated at £8m (US$10m) with £6.3m (US$7.87m) coming from the Zero Emissions Vessel and Infrastructure (ZEVI) program. The program is part of the UK government’s plan (via its Department for Transport and Innovate UK innovation agency) to develop, deploy and operate clean maritime solutions.

Cleaner and leaner

Retrofitting will be done on Ginny Louise, a 20m, diesel-powered Mercurio vessel. The old propulsion system will be replaced with a quad installation of Volvo Penta Inboard Performance System (IPS) 30 paired with fully electric motors and over 3.4MWh of onboard battery capacity. The completed vessel will be renamed e-Ginny. According to the company, the retrofit will not only increase the sustainability of the vessel but also enable seamless movement and control – courtesy of the forward-facing, individually steerable drives with twin counter-rotating propellers.

For the captain and vessel operators, there will be changes to the helm station with the switch to Volvo Penta IPS. These will include Volvo Penta’s Joystick Control, for a smoother driving experience. It’s part of a helm-to-prop retrofit solution that delivers improved performance and driving experience.

As part of the overall Tidal Transit project, new charging infrastructure will be installed, both through an onshore charging station and an offshore wind turbine based charger. In combination with the ultra-efficient Volvo Penta IPS platform, this will greatly increase the range of the vessel and the amount of time it can spend at work. Once complete, the E-CTV will support crew transfers at an offshore UK wind farm for three years.

Strategic goals

Mehmet Belibagli, sales manager for marine commercial at Volvo Penta UK, said, “We are delighted to be involved with such a landmark project, which will feature our first ever Volvo Penta IPS powered 100% by batteries and with no onboard diesel generators. It’s an ultra-efficient setup that will deliver longer-range and emissions-free transfers. There’s also closer control and maneuverability so journeys are safer, faster and more reliable. We believe this is the future for a number of segments within the marine industry and hope it will inspire further projects.”

Jan-Willem Vissers, director of marine commercial at Volvo Penta, added, “Our vision is to become world leader in sustainable power solutions, and being selected for this groundbreaking project shows the important steps we are making toward our goal. We believe there are many paths to net zero, and it’s important that we support our customers along whichever route they choose. It’s also crucial to remember the importance of remanufacturing and circularity in achieving our targets. It’s part of our business where we are putting greater emphasis, and projects such as e-Ginny are a great example of how it can be done.”

Leo Hambro, commercial director at Tidal Transit, said, “The transition to electric crew transfer vessels marks a major step toward achieving a more sustainable and environmentally responsible offshore wind industry. Electrification projects like the e-Ginny retrofit offer great benefits from a national to international scale – alongside a substantial reduction in carbon footprint, the absence of combustion engines also contributes significantly to lowering noise pollution, eliminates the risk of fuel spillages and translates into lower maintenance requirements. With the addition of onshore and offshore charging solutions, these vessels can stay on the water for longer, ultimately reducing operational costs for fleet operators.

“We’re thrilled to be working with the team at Volvo Penta for their expertise in electric propulsion systems, and, together with our other project partners, we’re looking forward to continuing our mission to drive the offshore transport industry into a new zero-carbon era.”

In related news, Volvo Penta and Sanlorenzo recently announced that they will bring Volvo Penta’s IPS professional platform – the technology and propulsion platform for commercial marine vessels and superyachts – to two dual-power Sanlorenzo yachts, the SX120 and the SX132. Click here to read the full story