Q&A: How fuel-flexible systems support Asia’s offshore wind growth

Will Watson.

As Asia’s offshore wind industry expands at a record pace, vessel operators are under pressure to meet new operational demands while advancing their own sustainability goals. The shift toward deeper, more remote wind farms driving demand for more powerful, fuel-flexible vessels and propulsion systems that can withstand harsh conditions while lowering emissions.

Marine Log spoke with Will Watson, product manager at Caterpillar Marine, about how hybrid, electric and fuel-flexible technologies are helping operators balance performance, cost and sustainability in the growing offshore wind sector.

Marine Log (ML): Asia’s offshore wind sector is expanding rapidly. From Caterpillar Marine’s perspective, what challenges does this growth present for vessel operators in the region?

Will Watson (WW): As offshore wind farms in Asia Pacific—especially Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Australia—are pushing into deeper waters farther from shore, more advanced and powerful vessels are needed to handle the harsh operating conditions that are encountered to be able to support uninterrupted operations. Vessel operators may have their own sustainability objectives aligned with the industry, and that typically requires upfront CapEx.

ML: How are fuel-flexible marine power systems helping operators balance the dual pressures of meeting offshore wind demand and reducing lifecycle GHG emissions? How do Caterpillar Marine’s battery and hybrid and electric systems play into this?

WW: Hybrid and electric as well as fuel-flexible power systems must provide dependable performance while helping to meet operators’ sustainability objectives. Fuel flexibility is crucial, especially now, as biofuel availability varies region by region. Incorporating biofuels can be a valuable part of balancing these objectives. Battery systems can support load management, reducing fuel burn and associated GHG emissions while preserving engine availability for high-power needs when compared to diesel.

ML: Caterpillar has worked with an operator in Taiwan that is standardizing its fleet on engines capable of running on lower-carbon intensity fuels like biodiesel and HVO as well as methanol. Can you walk us through that strategy and why it’s significant?

WW: Dong Fang Offshore (DFO) sought the guidance of Caterpillar Marine, Taiwanese Catdealer Capital Machinery Limited as well as PON Power and VARD’s shipbuilding team to determine how they can reduce GHG emissions while meeting performance requirements for their current fleet and new builds. DFO has standardized on our Cat C32 propulsion engines alongside C4.4 and C7.1 auxiliary engines and gen sets to power its crew transfer vessels (CTVs), while our 3516 and 3512 gensets underpin the operator’s service operation vessels (SOVs).

The technologies employed easily run on lower-carbon intensity fuels such as biodiesel and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) that reduce lifecycle GHG emissions, but have essentially the same GHG emissions at the tailpipe as traditional fuels. Additionally, the 3500E engines are methanol ready. Employing these particular power solutions provides DFO important fuel flexibility that the vessel operator can leverage when these fuel options become available in Taiwan’s ports.

ML: What role does methanol—and preparing for future methanol adoption—play in long-term fuel flexibility for offshore wind support vessels?

WW: It plays a key role as wind farm developers and operators desire the vessels that support their operations to also align with their sustainability objectives. DFO strategically invested in our 3500 series methanol-ready engines to ensure they are positioned to use this fuel as soon as it’s available in their region.

ML: Can you share examples of how new vessels are being equipped with hybrid and electric systems, and how retrofits with powertrains that support battery and hybrid and electric systems are improving performance and GHG emissions reduction?

WW: DFO’s approach demonstrates what’s possible. This kind of strategy offers multiple benefits: vessel operators can reduce GHG emissions while experiencing the cost advantages that come from engine standardization.

To ensure operators achieve the specific objectives they’re trying to reach—whether that’s reducing GHG emissions, lowering fuel consumption, or minimizing total cost of ownership—we begin with those goals in mind and design a power solution engineered to achieve them.

ML: When we talk about offshore wind, vessel availability in rough conditions is critical. How do these hybrid and electric systems and fuel flexible solutions support reliability and uptime for operators?

WW: Fuel flexibility helps ensure operational continuity. Standardization can also help reduce downtime by simplifying inventory needs. All Caterpillar marine engines can operate on renewable diesel (HVO) as well as biodiesel, and the dual-fuel 3500 can operate on those fuels as well as methanol. This ensures uninterrupted operations regardless of the fuel options available at any given port.