Floating power plants
BMES
Blue Mobile Energy Sources: electricity from the water.
A BMES power barge is a complete power plant on a pontoon. It is towed to your coast, moored and connected to your grid. 30 to 100 MW per barge, in months instead of years, without existing power infrastructure.
The numbers
What a BMES power barge delivers
Design values of our barge types. Every barge is planned for its site and confirmed in the offer.
30 to 100 MW
electrical power per barge
300 GWh
electricity per year from one 40 MW barge
6 to 9 months
from order to delivery
10 working days
from site visit to your proposals
No grid infrastructure needed
The barge feeds electricity from the waterside. Only a connection point on shore is required.
Flexible fuel
Diesel, HFO, VLSFO or LNG. You supply the fuel by land or sea, or we organise it.
Guaranteed energy
The amount of electricity is fixed in a power purchase agreement and delivered by our own crew.
Is it right for you?
Who it is for and what you need
Made for
Islands and coastal towns that are undersupplied or depend on a single, weak connection.
Ports and harbours that are being built or extended and need more power than the local grid delivers.
Land-based power plants that need a bridge while they are built, repaired or extended.
Regions after a disaster where electricity is needed fast and the grid is damaged.
What you need
A mooring site. Water with enough depth for the pontoon. We check tides and extreme weather on site.
A grid connection point. The interface between barge and local grid is defined in the pre-study.
A fuel route. Fuel supply by land or sea, by you or organised by us.
Permits. An environmental impact assessment for the location. We carry it out for you.
Your demand. Power, amount of electricity per year and how long you need it.
Two ways to work with us
Buy the electricity or buy the barge
You decide how much you want to own. In both cases we plan, build, deliver and commission the barge.
Power purchase agreement
You buy electricity.
We build, own and operate the barge.
Guaranteed amount.
Up to 300 GWh per year from one 40 MW barge, fixed in the agreement.
Our crew on board.
Project managers, naval architects, superintendents and mechanical and electrical staff.
Purchase of the barge
You own the barge.
We deliver it ready for operation.
Complete scope.
Engineering, assembly, testing, transport, connection and commissioning.
Training.
Your operators are trained during commissioning.
12 months warranty
after commissioning on site.
The barges
Three sizes, one principle
All barges are non-self-propelled pontoons with proven medium-speed engines. Waste heat can be used in a steam turbine or ORC unit to raise efficiency.
| Barge type | Power | Engines | Grid | Fuel | Electricity per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Barge 01 | up to 30 MW | 4 diesel engines | 50 Hz | HFO or diesel | up to 225 GWh |
| Power Barge 02 | up to 40 MW | 4 dual-fuel engines | 60 Hz | HFO, diesel or LNG | up to 300 GWh |
| Large barge | up to 100 MW | 6 medium-speed gensets | 50 Hz | MDO, MGO or VLSFO | by agreement |
Electricity per year at about 7,500 running hours. The large barge is planned in our current project.
Power Barge 01, 30 MW: about 225 GWh per year at 7,500 running hours.
Power Barge 02, 40 MW: about 300 GWh per year at 7,500 running hours.
On board
Proven engines, quick to build
Our barges use proven 4-stroke medium-speed engines. Where it makes sense, we use well-maintained engines and pontoons from existing plants and give them a second life. That saves time and cost. Every engine and pontoon is inspected before it is used, and fuel consumption is measured at 100, 85, 75, 50 and 25 % load during commissioning.
Proven 4-stroke medium-speed engine.
Current project
100 MW for the Indian Ocean
We are building a 100 MW diesel power barge that will be delivered to and operated in the Indian Ocean. Six medium-speed gensets on a pontoon of about 100 by 30 metres, planned launch in 2027. A dedicated project team in Augsburg coordinates the international work.
100 MW
guaranteed power
6
medium-speed gensets
100 × 30 m
pontoon
2027
planned launch
How we work
From pre-study to running power
1 · Pre-study
AES Engineering & Consulting visits your site: tides, weather, grid interface. You get a report and up to three technical and commercial proposals within 10 working days.
2 · Permits
An environmental impact assessment confirms the location and operation.
3 · Engineering
Naval engineering, inspection of engines, gensets and pontoon.
4 · Build
Assembly, testing and commissioning of the barge at the shipyard.
5 · Transport
The barge is towed or carried by heavy-lift ship to your coast.
6 · Connect and operate
Connection and commissioning on site, operator training and operation manual.
If you order a barge, the cost of the pre-study is credited to the purchase price.
Today and tomorrow
From grey to green power
Today. Reliable engines running on diesel, HFO, VLSFO or LNG, the fuels available at your site.
Tomorrow. Barges with hydrogen or synthetic fuels, and new technologies such as fuel cells, for green electricity when you need or require it.
BMES barge types: fossil fuels deliver grey power, hydrogen, synthetic fuels and fuel cells deliver green power.
Questions we hear
Your questions, answered
Do we need existing infrastructure?
No. The barge supplies power from the waterside. In the pre-study we agree where the power is fed into your grid.
How fast can we have power?
Each barge is planned for your project. From order to delivery it takes about six to nine months, depending on size and permits.
Who operates the barge?
With a power purchase agreement our own crew runs it. If you buy the barge, we train your operators.
Who supplies the fuel?
You can supply it by land or sea, or we organise it for you.
Which grid frequency is possible?
50 Hz or 60 Hz, depending on your grid.
What does the pre-study cost?
We make you a fixed offer for the site visit. If you order a barge, the cost is credited to the purchase price.
Contact
Tell us about your electrical needs
Send us the location, the power you need and your timeline. We check how we can supply you and suggest the next step.
All data on this page is non-binding. Every site is different, figures are design values and are confirmed for each project.
Also interesting for you:
Join the project
Build a power barge with us
For our 100 MW power barge we are currently building a project team in Augsburg: project leader, mechanical and electrical engineers, planner and administrative assistant.