To realize our ambition of a 10% reduction in the carbon intensity of our operations by 2030, we continue to trial and adopt various operational and technical efficiency measures across the fleet.
Boskalis is currently in the process of retrofitting numerous offshore vessels through the installation of energy storage systems (ESS). During 2024, our diving support vessel (DSV) BOKA Da Vinci became the first Boskalis vessel to use these ‘battery packs’ during offshore operations.
The ESS acts as an instant source of stored energy, enabling the vessel to switch off at least one engine during Dynamic Positioning (DP) operations without compromising the safety or redundancy of the
vessel. In doing so, the engines that remain engaged operate with greater efficiency than when all engines are running simultaneously. In favorable weather conditions, this can lead to reductions in carbon
dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions of between 15 and 20%. Since a complete power black-out represents one of the greatest potential dangers on board a DSV, the ESS also contributes to operational
safety.
The ESS can be charged by the engines on board or with renewable energy from our shore power facility at Waalhaven, Rotterdam.
In total, the battery packs can store up to 450 kWh of energy. Besides DP, the ESS can also be used as a back-up energy source while the vessel is in transit, resulting in fewer running hours for the vessel’s engines. It can also supply additional power to support surges in energy demand – for instance from tools on deck – further reducing the vessel’s fuel consumption. All the relevant data are captured and analyzed in-house, however the wider efficiency measures that have been adopted on the vessel, together with fluctuating sea and weather conditions, make the exact fuel savings on account of the ESS difficult to quantify.
“The longer we work with this system, the better we understand it; all with the aim of using the energy available on board more efficiently,” said Marcin Goluch, captain on board the BOKA Da Vinci. “It is very
satisfying to witness and to help shape a change like this in our industry.”
A second DSV, BOKA Atlantis, has also been fitted with an ESS and Boskalis plans to complete similar modifications to other vessels with DP capabilities.
