An offshore charging system for electric service operation vessels (eSOVs), a rare earth permanent magnet production line and an automated manufacturing facility for offshore wind substations are among the projects selected for funding support through the European Commission’s Innovation Fund.
On 19 October, the Commission announced that 77 net-zero technology projects had been selected to receive a combined EUR 3.4 billion. The funding comes from revenues generated by the EU Emissions Trading System and aims to support innovative technologies, strengthen European supply chains and accelerate decarbonisation. The selected projects have been invited to prepare grant agreements, with funding agreements yet to be finalised.
One of the projects is OffshoreCharge, coordinated by Denmark-based Stillstrom, which aims to install the first commercial Stillstrom Offshore eCharger (SOeC). The 7.5 MVA system will allow fully electric service operation vessels (eSOVs) to charge at offshore wind farms.
According to the project description, each SOeC unit could save more than 5.5 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually, cut fuel costs, strengthen offshore wind logistics and open new markets.
Stillstrom has been developing offshore charging systems since 2019. In August, the company demonstrated automated cable control for its charging technology in trials with offshore wind vessel operator Esvagt and Semco Maritime. In September, Stillstrom signed a letter of intent with Semco Maritime for the manufacture and delivery of a local equipment room, a key component of the charging infrastructure.
Funding has also been earmarked for the GAUSS project, coordinated by Neo Performance Materials, which opened a new permanent magnet manufacturing facility in Narva, Estonia, in September 2025.
The GAUSS project aims to establish an integrated production line for rare earth permanent magnets, covering separation, metallisation and magnet manufacturing. The facility is planned to produce up to 3,000 tonnes of magnets annually, with one-third allocated to EU offshore wind farms.
The project is designed to further integrate the supply chain, using a closed-loop solvent-extraction process planned to reduce energy consumption, and is said to enable avoiding more than 3.4 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent over its first ten years of operation.
A project to establish an automated prefabrication line for steel structures used in offshore wind substations, led by Norway’s Aker Solutions, was also selected for funding. The facility will manufacture high-voltage direct current (HVDC) topsides for 2 GW transmission systems, using automated laser-hybrid arc welding.
The project, named RESOLVE, aims to shorten delivery times by approximately ten months and reduce reliance on suppliers outside Europe.
Among the offshore wind-related projects, the Innovation Fund list also includes AEGEANFLOAT, a 45 MW floating wind pilot that Terna Energy plans to build in Greece.