Publication

Abstract : Global climate changes evoked by carbon emissions have stimulated genuine interest in sustainable technology apropos the marine transportation sector. Offshore charging infrastructure for electric vessels is one of the focal areas for sustainable marine transportation. Pervasive deployment of electric vehicles is restrained by travel range and battery energy capacity. This paper brings to bear the exigency of offshore floating charging stations (FCSs) that charge/recharge electric vessels at sea. This work underscores the feasibility of implementation and energy management of reliable offshore recharging stations with renewable energy sources, energy storage systems, and backup energy sources. A realistic study was performed at a North Sea offshore location for an appraisal of the viability and operational profile of an FCS. A reconfigurable energy management strategy was developed to fulfill real-time energy demands with balanced energy flows, ensuring minimal dependency on backup energy sources. The validation results revealed that the time duration of the FCS’s need for a backup energy source was reduced by 96%, and the energy consumed from the backup energy source showed a 97% decrease. This investigation laid the groundwork for systematic follow-on studies that ratify sustainable electrified transportation in the maritime sector. The authors recommend further research in the following areas: vessel traffic analysis at dispersed offshore locations, FCS siting, and marine spatial planning for FCS implementation.