As part of the Horizon 2020 MAGPIE project, MARIN is presently undertaking model tests to evaluate an E-buoy for charging vessels at sea. Foreseen applications are the provision of hotel load to ships in waiting areas outside ports to allow these to switch off their auxiliary engines or the charging of battery-powered ships maintaining wind parks.
Bluewater is developing the E-Buoy. The E-buoy is presently being evaluated by MARIN by means of hydrodynamic model tests in the research institute’s Shallow Water Basin. A wind park service vessel is used as charging vessel.
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E-buoy prototype
In 2023 a prototype of the E-buoy will be installed by Van Oord in Dutch coastal waters. The full scope of the development of the E-buoy within MAGPIE comprises concept development, numerical analysis, Software-In-the-Loop basin testing and offshore testing of the mechanical functionality of the E-buoy.
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