The world has been searching for centuries

A green technology company out of Scotland has come up with an industrial solution for offshore hydrogen bunkering and electric charging. The Oasis Marine technology has massive implications as it makes it far easier for marine vessels to switch from emissions-producing diesel systems to green hydrogen if refueling infrastructure is easier to access.

Scottish green energy company revolutionizes hydrogen bunkering

Oasis Marine’s initial product offerings involved small-scale mooring buoys, but it wasn’t long before the renewable energy company branched out into larger, more complex systems. Oasis Marine now offers the Oasis Hydrogen Buoy and Oasis Power Bouy, which provide offshore bunkering for hydrogen refueling and electrical charging for marine vessels, respectively.

The innovative technology is said to be a groundbreaking move for the shipping and hydrogen industries and stakeholders are excited about the future. Another innovative offshore project that’s also revolutionizing offshore energy production but in a completely different way is Midesto’s tidal energy installation in the Faroe Islands.

The production of green hydrogen will be facilitated by offshore wind farms and the network has the potential to be expanded into an offshore “hydrogen highway.” The idea is that the hydrogen fuel will be stored at an offshore location before being transferred via the Oasis Hydrogen Buoy to ships for either transporting to other supply destinations or use as their own fuel source.

Oasis tech performed well under test conditions, projections are positive

The Scottish government fully supported Oasis Marine’s new buoy and bunkering technology by funding the hydrogen buoy testing under the Emerging Energy Technologies Fund (EETF) Hydrogen Innovation Scheme (HIS). The government also facilitated mooring analysis and testing as part of the TestHOTS (Tank Testing of Hydrogen Offshore Transfer System) project demonstration at the Kelvin Hydrodynamic Laboratory in Glasgow.

The scale model tank testing revealed that the mooring buoy is able to successfully connect to ocean-going vessels. Insightful data about technical aspects such as ocean conditions and wave impact was gathered that will enable developers to make adjustments based on mooring loads during the bunkering process. Oasis reports that the next step is validating findings during wave tank testing as the Oasis Hydrogen Buoy has already been optimized via numerical analysis.

Oasis Marine MD highlights the benefits of the new hydrogen technology

Managing Director of Oasis Marine, George Smith, said the hydrogen buoy and the charging buoy have great potential to reduce emissions in the marine industry:

“These buoys will have a tangible impact in our shift from hydrocarbons towards a green energy future. Currently, windfarm maintenance vessels rely on fossil fuels and make up the largest component of an operational windfarm’s carbon footprint. While that will be our initial focus, the technology could be applied to other vessels across the maritime industry.

“The maritime energy mix of the future won’t be a single solution but will be made up of different renewable sources. Our Oasis buoys deliver two of those through hydrogen and electric charging, both of which come from renewable, low-cost energy generated by wind farms.”

The benefits of making hydrogen systems available offshore

There are a number of important factors that make Oasis Marine’s buoy technology beneficial to the marine industry:

• Decarbonization: Green hydrogen systems are a viable alternative to carbon emissions-producing diesel systems, which will encourage owners to move over to hydrogen-powered vessels.
• Sustainable refueling: Making hydrogen refueling easier and more accessible is another reason to encourage the use of vessels with hydrogen systems. The production of hydrogen through electrolysis will be renewably powered by offshore wind and solar farms
• Seawater is a renewable resource: The hydrogen will be produced using seawater, which is an abundant resource that cannot be depleted.
• Cost-effectiveness: The buoy technology is cheaper than traditional storage methods involving high-pressure tanks or ammonia.
• Versatility: The Oasis Marine buoys will also offer electrical charging facilities.

Oasis Marine’s buoy technology is poised to open up a whole new avenue for environmental hydrogen production. This is happening in other parts of the world and other industries as well, such as RWE’s new hydrogen production plant in Germany. The clean energy revolution is moving ahead with full force, and the marine industry could do with a boost in the right direction.