Industry Leaders See Regulation as Main Barrier to Offshore Vessel Electrification

Vessel electrification is no longer a future concept for offshore wind and policy and regulatory alignment is now the main barrier to uptake, a cross-industry panel hosted by Bibby Marine told an audience during Global Offshore Wind on Wednesday.

Speakers from RenewableUK, Corvus Energy, Stillstrom, Tidal Transit and Kongsberg Maritime said rapid progress in vessel and charging technology means electrified vessels now represent an increasingly credible commercial proposition. They argued that better policy alignment and regulatory clarity will be key in unlocking the full value of electrification for developers and their contract partners.

Opening the session, Nigel Quinn, CEO of Bibby Marine, highlighted the growing need for offshore wind’s support infrastructure to keep pace with the sector’s wider ambitions. “Offshore wind is growing quickly, but the supply chain must also look at how it decarbonises its own assets and operations,” he said. “Vessel electrification is no longer just an environmental aspiration. It is becoming a practical way to reduce costs, improve energy security and give operators greater control over long-term operating risk.”

The panel was chaired by Laoiseach Scullion, Policy Manager at RenewableUK, and featured Kevin Brown, Commercial Director at Bibby Marine; Efraim Kanestrøm, Vice President Global Offshore Segment at Corvus Energy; Nikolaj Stald, Chief Commercial Officer at Stillstrom; Leo Hambro, CEO & Co-founder at Tidal Transit; and Euan Duncan, Regional Sales Director at Kongsberg Maritime.

Throughout the discussion, panelists challenged the idea that electrification remains too complex, too costly or too technically immature for offshore deployment. Instead, speakers pointed to rapid progress in battery systems, vessel design, offshore charging and system integration, as well as the growing pressure on operators to manage fuel-price volatility and future carbon-cost exposure.    

Panellists also pointed to the role of grant funding and innovation support in accelerating progress. Support through initiatives such as UK SHORE and Innovate UK was highlighted as instrumental in helping move vessel electrification and offshore charging from early-stage concept work towards practical delivery.

At the same time, speakers stressed that the next challenge is not proving the technology, but creating the conditions for deployment. That includes integrating offshore charging into project planning earlier, resolving questions around access to offshore electricity, and establishing a clearer regulatory and commercial pathway for charging infrastructure.

The discussion also highlighted the value of cross-sector collaboration in bringing unique projects forward. Speakers pointed to the growing alignment between vessel owners, charging providers, battery specialists, maritime system suppliers and offshore wind stakeholders as an important sign of momentum in the market.

Looking ahead, panelists agreed that progress over the next 12 months will be measured not only by vessels under construction, but by tangible movement on offshore charging deployment, regulatory certainty and project-level commitment from developers.