Tidal Transit Limited

Tidal Transit is proud to be showcasing e-Ginny, the UK’s first diesel-to-electric retrofit crew transfer vessel (CTV), during London International Shipping Week at this year’s Clean Maritime Day, hosted by Innovate UK on 17 September. The event brings together some of the most ambitious projects from across the UK maritime sector, making it the perfect platform to share e-Ginny’s progress.

The e-Ginny project received £6.3 million in funding from the Zero Emissions Vessel and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition, through the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme from the UK Department for Transport (DfT) and Innovate UK. Since 2022, the programme has allocated over £200m to develop the technologies necessary to decarbonise the UK maritime sector. This week, the DfT committed an additional £448 million to support the immensely successful programme, as part of a £1.1 billion investment into the UK’s maritime sector.

Following this announcement, showcasing e-Ginny during London International Shipping Week provides not only a chance to celebrate the project’s achievements so far, but to highlight the vital role that electrification will play in the sustainable future of offshore wind.

With the benefits of the retrofit process spanning far beyond a single vessel, e-Ginny proves that existing CTVs can be repurposed instead of being scrapped or sold overseas as the industry transitions to electrification. This new and innovative circular economy approach helps keeps assets and materials in the value chain for longer, while greatly reducing the carbon footprint associated with scrapping older vessels.

Starting life as Ginny Louise, the vessel has in the last year undergone a major transformation into an all-electric E-CTV: she was stripped to make room for lightweight components and designs; the hull was modified to allow for advanced electric propulsion systems; the vessel’s internals and electronics have been upgraded; new battery-ready fire insulation has been installed; the charging system was fitted; and we’re now installing more than 3 MWh of marine battery capacity.

The groundbreaking project has already been recognised by a series of industry accolades, including wins at the Humber Renewables Awards, the East Anglian Clean & Green Awards and the Electric & Hybrid Marine Awards. This recognition reflects the impact the project has had across the sector and the benchmark it has set for the sustainable future of the marine and offshore industries. 

e-Ginny is due to set sail soon, with sea trials scheduled to take place in October. Come visit us at Clean Maritime day 2025 in London on 17 September to discover more about e-Ginny’s journey, the people driving the project forward and what the future holds for decarbonised offshore wind.