The local equipment room (LER), which controls power, communication, and safety across the entire charging infrastructure, is often referred to as its “nerve center,” as every element of the system connects through it and is governed by it.
Housed inside the LER is the transformer and medium voltage switchgear that deliver offshore-generated power from the wind farm to the vessel, alongside the communications equipment, ventilation, and fire safety systems that keep the charger running. The specially designed containerized unit sits on a monopile or hang-off structure at each charging site.
The agreement with Semco Maritime, signed Wednesday, September 23, at WindEnergy Hamburg, follows the successful rollout of the LER design phase, which Semco completed earlier this year.
The switchgear and control systems will be supplied by Siemens in a subcontractor capacity. A separate LOI between Semco Maritime and Siemens was also signed during WindEnergy Hamburg.
Gordon Dickson, operations and maintenance lead at Stillstrom UK, who is overseeing the LER project, said: “Completing the design and now moving into manufacture is a major milestone for us. The LER is extremely significant to our solutions as it acts as the nerve center of our charging system. It controls everything that happens, from how power reaches the vessel to how every safety system talks to each other. Without it, nothing in the system moves.
“Working with Semco Maritime through the design phase has allowed us to develop the LER around the practical requirements of offshore installation and operations. Moving into manufacturing brings us another step closer to demonstrating the complete charging solution in an operational environment.”
Manufacturing of the LER is planned to take place at Semco Maritime’s facility in Esbjerg, Denmark, with completion targeted for spring 2027. Looking ahead, future LER manufacturing could potentially be supported from Semco Maritime’s facilities in the UK.
Stephen Booth, Vice President Renewable Service at Semco Maritime, said: “This milestone reflects the strong collaboration we’ve built with Stillstrom through the design phase, and we’re proud to carry that into manufacturing at our Esbjerg facility. And with Siemens joining as our subcontractor for the switchgear, we have the right partner to deliver on this next step together.”
Semco Maritime also supported Stillstrom’s recent yard trial in which the business successfully proved that its fully automated cable control is possible while a vessel is operating on dynamic positioning. Semco Maritime’s involvement included setting up the test from its facility in Esbjerg.
With offices in Copenhagen and Aberdeen, Stillstrom is dedicated to decarbonizing the maritime sector through offshore power and charging solutions which can be either fully integrated within wind farm structures or through standalone offshore installations.
