The latest member of Siemens Gamesa's fleet of ships is equipped with environmentally friendly propulsion technology. The vessel is ready for the addition of a 12-MW battery which would reduce energy consumption during operation.

The REM Energy is also capable to run emissions free on green hydrogen or with batteries and offshore charging. This puts the SOV ahead of its time. Until a green hydrogen economy is established in Germany, the ship will be conventionally powered by efficient diesel generators.

The REM Energy is almost 90m long and almost 20m wide. It will be the workplace and living quarters for up to 75 offshore service technicians and 24 crew members.

"The REM Energy is setting new standards in terms of occupational safety, sustainability and efficiency," enthuses Stephan Hauhs, Managing Director of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Deutschland GmbH in Bremerhaven. "With the new SOV, we will be able to optimize the service we are providing for our customers. We will increase the availability of the offshore turbines, thereby reducing the cost of electricity and ensuring more clean energy while increasing the safety for our offshore service technicians."

Powering a net-zero future

“We are taking the first step in getting ready to cut our emissions in offshore service operations. The commissioning of the REM Energy is a strong signal highlighting the availability of clean technology to facilitate operation without emissions,” says Jonas Pagh Jensen, Sustainability Specialist at Siemens Gamesa, and adds, “Governments, industry and investors now need to partner up quickly to ramp up a green hydrogen infrastructure to facilitate the decarbonization of marine shipping.”

Worldwide marine traffic accounts for more than 900 million tons of CO2 emissions which is more than the entire nation of Germany emits. Shipping is a sector that is difficult to electrify. Green hydrogen and other power-to-X fuels produced with renewable energy are a key building block for reducing emissions. With the Brande Hydrogen pilot project and the development of an offshore-wind-to-hydrogen-turbine with integrated electrolyzer, Siemens Gamesa is leading the way to unlock a green hydrogen revolution.

Siemens Gamesa became carbon neutral in 2019 – five years ahead of schedule. In 2020, the company was powered by 100% renewable energy and had the SBTi (Science Based Targets Initiative) verify that our emission reduction targets until 2025 are meeting the most ambitious 1.5°C scenario. To document its progress, Siemens Gamesa publishes a Greenhouse Gas Emissions report annually which is externally verified.

Reinforced safety standards

Thanks to its azimuth thrusters which can be rotated 360 degrees around the vertical axis, the ship is extremely maneuverable, enabling it to safely move between the wind turbines even in rough seas. The ship has a gangway that stabilizes the wave movements and enables the technicians to safely transfer from the ship to the offshore wind turbine. To make the stay at sea as pleasant as possible, there is a fitness room, a cinema and a gaming room on board. The offshore service technicians will live on board and work in shifts. The Siemens Gamesa crew will rotate every 14 days, while the REM Energy itself is able to operate at sea for a total of more than a month before having to return to port again.

The ship was delivered from the Norwegian shipyard Green Yard Kleven on December 3, 2021 and was christened there in mid-November. Siemens Gamesa has chartered the REM Energy for 4 years, and will be operated by the shipping company REM ENERGY AS. The home port for the service operations will be Bremerhaven. The REM Energy will be deployed in the offshore wind parks Global Tech 1 and Trianel Borkum West.