Stillstrom by Maersk has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Semco Maritime for the manufacture and delivery of a local equipment room (LER), a key component of its offshore power and charging solution.
The LER controls power, communication and safety systems across the charging infrastructure. It houses the transformer and medium-voltage switchgear that deliver power from an offshore wind farm to a vessel, as well as communications, ventilation and fire safety equipment. The containerised unit is designed to be installed on a monopile or hang-off structure at each charging site.
The agreement, signed on 23 September, follows the completion of the LER design phase by Semco Maritime earlier this year. Semco Maritime signed a separate LOI with Siemens, which will supply the switchgear and control systems as a subcontractor.
Manufacturing of the first LER is planned at Semco Maritime’s facility in Esbjerg, Denmark, with completion targeted for spring 2027. Future LER production could also be supported from Semco Maritime’s UK facilities, according to Stillstrom.
The agreement follows a trial that Stillstrom, Semco Maritime and offshore wind vessel operator Esvagt completed this August, which tested Stillstrom’s automated cable control system at Semco Maritime’s Esbjerg yard. The test demonstrated automatic deployment and retrieval of the charging cable while a vessel operated on dynamic positioning. DNV witnessed the trial as part of its technology qualification process.
Stillstrom has been developing offshore charging systems for service operation vessels (SOVs) since 2019 and established a UK entity in Aberdeen earlier this year as it prepares for commercial deployment of its technology in the UK.
In April, the company also introduced two standalone monopile-based solutions, the Power Hub and Power Tower, which can be deployed independently of offshore wind turbines and substations.