Oasis Marine has unveiled a series of cutting-edge industrial mooring buoys, including the Oasis Hydrogen Buoy and the Oasis Power Buoy, aimed at facilitating offshore hydrogen bunkering and electric charging, thereby enabling vessels to transition from diesel to eco-friendly power sources.
Backed by funding and support from the Scottish Government through the Emerging Energy Technologies Fund (EETF) Hydrogen Innovation Scheme (HIS), the mooring analysis of the hydrogen buoy was rigorously tested as part of the TestHOTS (Tank Testing of Hydrogen Offshore Transfer System) project demonstration.
Conducted at the Kelvin Hydrodynamic Laboratory in Glasgow, the demonstration showcased the seamless integration of the mooring buoy with vessels, while scale model tank tests provided crucial technical insights into the impact of wave conditions and sea states on mooring loads during bunkering. Leveraging data obtained from numerical analysis, the project has already fine-tuned the design of the Oasis Hydrogen Buoy and aims to validate these findings further through wave tank testing.
This milestone follows the successful completion of a Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC1) project, supported by the Department of Transport through Innovate UK, which facilitated the refinement of the hydrogen buoy’s design and demonstrated its feasibility. The initial development of the Oasis Buoy was funded via MarRI-UK.
Subsequently, Oasis Marine collaborated with Strathclyde University and ship owner O.S. Energy to conduct hydrodynamic analysis and wave tank testing. Notably, one of O.S. Energy’s vessels is currently undergoing retrofitting for hydrogen fuel, with a model of the ship slated for utilization during the demonstration and tank tests.
This groundbreaking technology, leveraging hydrogen for offshore bunkering, represents a significant milestone for the industry. The buoy is poised to utilize green hydrogen generated by offshore wind farms, potentially forming a crucial component of an offshore hydrogen highway, facilitating the storage and transfer of hydrogen from offshore locations to vessels utilizing it as a fuel source.
Shipping presently accounts for over three percent of global CO2 emissions, with the industry facing a global decarbonization target of reducing emissions by 20 percent by 2030, escalating to 70 percent by 2040, and achieving complete decarbonization by 2050.
George Smith, Managing Director of Oasis Marine, emphasized the substantial potential of the Oasis Hydrogen Buoy and the Oasis Charging Buoy in mitigating the global shipping industry’s CO2 footprint.
“These buoys will exert a tangible influence on our transition away from hydrocarbons towards a green energy future,” he remarked. “Initially targeting deployment in the North Sea offshore wind market, where windfarm maintenance vessels predominantly rely on fossil fuels, thus constituting a significant portion of an operational windfarm’s carbon footprint, the technology holds promise for broader applications across the maritime sector.”
Smith added, “The maritime energy landscape of tomorrow will be characterized by a diverse array of renewable sources. Our Oasis buoys encapsulate two key elements of this future, namely hydrogen and electric charging, both derived from renewable, cost-effective energy generated by wind farms.”
The Oasis Power Buoy is currently undergoing an offshore testing regimen, with plans for the first pilot demonstration at an offshore wind farm slated for 2025.
Source Oasis Marine