Charge Offshore has completed the concept design of an offshore vessel charging system built around a dedicated monopile structure, purpose-engineered to deliver electrical power to hybrid and fully electric vessels operating in or close to offshore wind fields, but also at any location where a supply power cable can be routed.

The system positions the charging interface well clear of active wind farm infrastructure, a configuration that addresses one of the most persistent obstacles facing offshore electrification:the near-impossibility of retrofitting high-voltage charging equipment onto existing transition pieces or offshore substation structures without significant civil and electrical modification.

Development of the concept was initiated in 2023, following direct engagement with wind farm developers who identified the retrofit problem early and recognised that a standalone solution would in some cases be required to make vessel electrification commercially viable at scale.

Beyond solving the retrofit challenge, the dedicated monopile approach delivers a material safety improvement. By relocating charging operations away from wind turbine generators and substation infrastructure, the design eliminates collision risk between attending vessels and wind farm assets - a risk that carries both physical and financial consequences, including potential production shutdown on affected strings or arrays.

From an engineering point of view, the solution requires no modification to standard transition piece or offshore substation design. The only interface with existing infrastructure is a protected subsea cable tapping to supply power to the monopile - a reasonably straightforward addition that maintains structural and electrical design standardisation.

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