Stillstrom by Maersk and Port of Roenne have begun a joint white paper to assess how Energy Island Bornholm could act as a model for linking offshore wind with maritime electrification. The study, Energy Island Bornholm Powering Maritime Electrification, examines how renewable generation and future grid capacity could support charging systems for electric ferries, cargo vessels, and offshore service vessels. This is intended to help shipowners move towards battery-powered fleets and support wider decarbonisation of European transport beyond road electrification.
Conventional cargo vessels passing Bornholm consume significant volumes of fossil fuel each year, but ongoing improvements in battery technology are making battery-driven ships more feasible. Stillstrom by Maersk, which develops offshore power and charging systems, estimates that electrifying this segment would require about 17 TWh of additional electricity demand each year to charge the vessels, replacing roughly 3 million metric tonnes of marine gas oil. The white paper aims to outline a scalable approach for ports and offshore hubs preparing for the next phase of maritime electrification and will be published in Q1 2026.
