Danish shipping firm Maersk Supply Service is to launch an electricity charging system that will give ships access to renewable energy while they’re at sea.

The Stillstrom venture comprises a collection of offshore buoys that allow ships to plug into electricity generated by offshore wind farms, as well as onshore power-generation sites. The project aims to cut the use of fuel-burning generators used by ships to power onboard systems while they’re anchored or moored…

Ships would be able to use the Stillstrom buoys as mooring points and as sources of electricity.

The buoys would be connected by cables to nearby offshore wind farms or onshore electricity-generation sites.

Stillstrom has been under development since 2019. A pilot charging buoy will take to the seas in 2022.

According to Toft, the venture’s aim for 2022 is to “prove the concept.” It would then aim to install the system at 50 to 100 ports over the next 5 years.