Stillstrom by Maersk and Port of Roenne have initiated a joint white paper to explore how Energy Island Bornholm could serve as a blueprint for integrating offshore wind energy with maritime electrification.
The new study, Energy Island Bornholm Powering Maritime Electrification, examines how renewable power production and future grid capacity can support charging solutions for electric ferries, cargo vessels and offshore service vessels – important steps to help shipowners invest in battery-powered fleets and advance the decarbonisation of European transport beyond road electrification.
Maritime electrification is gaining momentum
Conventional cargo vessels passing through Bornholm consume considerable amounts of fossil fuel every year. As battery technology continues to mature, battery-driven vessels are becoming increasingly viable. Stillstrom by Maersk, a marine technology leader delivering offshore power and charging solutions, estimates that electrifying this segment would require around 17 TWh of new electricity consumption to charge the battery-powered vessels, replacing annually, in the range of 3 million MT of marine gas oil (MGO), roughly saving €2 billion in oil imports.
“Maritime electrification is the next frontier of Europe’s green transition. But for shipowners to invest in battery-powered vessels, charging infrastructure must be built ahead of demand – both offshore and in ports,” says Stillstrom’s Senior Regulatory & Public Affairs Manager, Sune Strøm. “Energy Island Bornholm offers a unique opportunity to demonstrate how offshore wind energy can support vessel charging in one of Europe’s busiest shipping corridors.”
Port of Roenne: Insights into future infrastructure needs
As a TEN-T Comprehensive port, Port of Roenne contributes practical insights into the types of infrastructure that may be required as maritime operations move toward electrification – including future ferry charging, clean shore power for cruise vessels and offshore charging opportunities in the Baltic Sea.
“Energy Island Bornholm gives us a valuable opportunity to better understand what future maritime energy needs might look like. Our contribution to this collaboration is to share operational insights and explore how different charging scenarios could work in practice. With our central location in the Baltic Sea, we see a natural role in helping to qualify the discussion about what will be required to support the wider transition,” says Jeppe La Cour, CCO of Port of Roenne.
A model for Europe
The Energy Island Bornholm Powering Maritime Electrification white paper aims to present a scalable roadmap for ports and offshore hubs preparing for the next wave of maritime electrification. It will be published in Q1 2026.