Leading Sustainable
Shipping Technologies Forum

The use of renewable fuels has grown rapidly since the early 2000s as markets have matured, driven in part by political targets and incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, demand has stagnated as consumers have questioned the sustainability of conventional biofuels.

Experts have questioned the overall sustainability of first generation biofuels, including their impact on land use patterns and food prices, and their carbon emissions across the production value chain. In response, a new generation of renewable transport fuels is emerging, but numerous barriers remain in place to their uptake.

The ADVANCEFUEL project brings together eight partners from seven different countries, including prominent research centres and universities. It aims to facilitate the commercialisation of advanced renewable transport fuels to contribute to the achievement of the EU’s renewable energy targets, and reduce carbon emissions in the transport sector to 2030 and beyond.

ADVANCEFUEL will look into renewable fuels produced from lignocellulosic feedstocks, renewable hydrogen and CO2 streams, and provide market stakeholders with new knowledge, tools, standards and recommendations to help remove barriers to their uptake.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N.º764799.

Start date: September, 2017
Duration: 36 months

AIRCOAT technology is aiming to reduce energy consumption and ship emissions, as defined by the EU Green Deal looking to reduce gas emission for the ship industry by 40% by 2030. The air barrier created by the AIRCOAT foil further limits the attachment of fouling and consequent invasive species translocation. It will also avoid the release of biocide substances of underlying coatings to the water and mitigate the radiation of ship noise, something that has detrimental effects on marine life such as cetaceans. The project will help to understand and validate environmentally friendly initiatives within the maritime industry, paving the way for further marine research initiatives that reduce our footprint in the oceans.

The AIRCOAT project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°764553.

Start date: April, 2018
Duration: 42 months

Many thanks to AVL for the support for the year 2022!

AVL List GmbH (“AVL”) with its headquarters in Graz, is one of the world’s leading mobility technology companies for development, simulation and testing in the automotive industry, and in other sectors. Drawing on its pioneering spirit, the company provides concepts, solutions and methodologies for a greener, safer and better world of mobility.

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Launched in 2019 as part of the BMBF program WIR!-Change through Innovation in the Region, the CAMPFIRE partner alliance develops new technologies for green ammonia as carbon-free fuel and energy storage. Key technologies are reactors and plants for decentralised ammonia farming, bunkering and refueling infrastructure as well as ammonia crackers for hybridisation with internal combustion engines for marine transport and stationary power generation. New concepts are developed for the legal framework, public acceptance and logistic and infrastructure.  With its renewable energy branche and the maritime sector as well as an existing ammonia infrastructure at the Poppendorf industrial site, the region North-East around Rostock, Greifswald, Neubrandenburg and the Uckermark offers favourable conditions for the development of these key technologies for the future green ammonia ecosystem. Strategic aims and projects of over 70 alliance partners from industry and science are coordinated by the CAMPFIRE Open Innovation Management and currently funded with more than 50 million Euros within the BMBF WIR! Program, the BMBF lead project Transhyde and EU Horizon 2020 FETProActiv.

Τhe overall objective of E-ferry is to apply an extremely energy efficient design concept and demonstrate a 100% electric, emission free, medium sized ferry for passengers and cars, trucks and cargo1 in full-scale operation on longer distances than previously seen (> 5 nautical miles (Nm)) for electric drive train ferries, i.e. the medium range connections Soeby-Fynshav (10.7 Nm) and Soeby-Faaborg (9.6 Nm) in the Danish part of the Baltic Sea connecting the island of Aeroe (Ærø) to the mainland.

E-ferry is a new project co-funded by the EC under the H2020 Research and Innovation programme involving the design, building and demonstration of a fully electric powered ‘green’ ferry which can sail without polluting and CO2 emissions. It promotes energy efficient, zero GHG emission and air pollution free waterborne transportation for island communities, coastal zones and inland waterways in Europe and beyond.

H2020 Research and Innovation ( MG 4.1-2014: Towards the energy efficient and emission free vessel)

Start date: June, 2015
Duration: 48 months

Clean waterborne transport in Europe.

The FLAGSHIPS project will raise the readiness of zero-emission waterborne transport to an entirely new level by deploying two commercially operated hydrogen fuel cell vessels.

The FLAGHSIPS project has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 826215. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and from Hydrogen Europe.

Start date: Janurary, 2019
Duration: 48 months

Fraunhofer Gesellschaft CML is Europe’s largest organisation dedicated to applied research and represented through its Center for Maritime Logistics and Services CML in Hamburg. Fraunhofer CML develops and optimizes processes and systems along the maritime supply chain for public and private sector clients as well as with EU, international and national research funding. The team ‘Maritime Technologies & Biomimetics’ of the Fraunhofer CML focused on developing and analysing green technologies to increase energy efficiency, sustainability and environmental impact and on prototyping innovative biomimetic solutions and robotic applications. The multidisciplinary team has sound expertise in hardware and software development for robotic applications, fluid dynamics (numerical and experimental), environmental sensors, autonomous navigation, rapid prototyping and nature based concept definition. The team is an excellent candidate to perform the tasks required in the tender. Together with scientific and industrial partners Team MTB is actively researching biomimetic ship hull coatings, remote controlled vessels and autonomous vessel concepts, and technologies as well as weather routing and emission monitoring solutions for ships.

The GRENDEL project supports the Danube vessel fleet operators and their public counterparts in modernisation of the sector. GRENDEL addresses various fleet modernisation aspects: [i] use of low carbon & alternative fuels, [ii] reduction of air pollutant emissions (CO2, NOx, PM) and [iii] overall energy consumption. Besides this, [iv] transport & logistics management processes are addressed to ensure better integration of the Danube IWT into logistics chains through new services (including River Information Services), digital data provision as well as dedicated tools to improve efficiency of fleet operations.

Programme co-funded by European Union funds (ERDF, IPA, ENI)

Start date: June, 2018
End date: November, 2020

The Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon conducts international cutting-edge research for a changing world: approximately 1,100 employees generate knowledge and innovation toward more resilience and sustainability. The Hereon’s scientific spectrum encompasses high-performance materials, processes and environmentally friendly technologies for mobility and new energy systems. Furthermore, research is conducted on biomaterials in medicine and for increasing quality of life. Through research and consulting, the Hereon addresses the challenges of climate change in a solution-oriented manner and facilitates sustainable management as well as the protection of the coasts and marine environment through comprehensive scientific understanding. From fundamental understanding to practical applications – the interdisciplinary research spectrum covers a unique range.

Hydroville is the first certified passenger shuttle that uses hydrogen to power a diesel engine. Hydrogen has the advantage of releasing no CO2, particulate matter or sulfur oxides when burned.

The shuttle will be mainly used as a platform to test hydrogen technology for commercial seagoing vessels.

In the first phase, the Hydroville will transport people from Kruibeke to Antwerp during rush hour to avoid traffic jams. Occasionally, the vessel will also be used for meetings/dinners on board or to organize a trip in the Port of Antwerp. It will also function as a demonstration platform for hydrogen and will travel to events in Europe. In addition, during the summer holidays, the vessel can be used to organize trips to the offshore wind turbine parks on the Belgian coast from Oostende/Zeebrugge.

Start date: 2017

LeanShips is a European Innovation Project (Horizon 2020 framework programme) based on seven, mostly full scale demonstrators on board ships. The project aims to put innovations into practice by carrying out seven demonstrator show cases (Demo Cases) that combine technologies for efficient and less polluting vessels with end-users’ needs and requirements.

Dedicated teams of equipment manufacturers (technology providers), shipyards (technology integrators), and ship owners (technology users) will make certain that the innovations developed in the project are matured to market uptake capability. The ship types addressed by the project are small to midsized vessels for cargo and maritime operations, leisure and inland shipping.

Making new and existing vessels more efficient and less polluting indicates the need for significant industry involvement. In this respect, 81% of the project partners are industrial enterprises. In total, 41 partners from various EU member states are involved in LeanShips. The project has a duration of four years and is coordinated by Damen Shipyards Gorinchem.

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Contract No.: 636146).

Start date: Janurary, 2015
Duration: 48 months

In MARANDA project an emission-free hydrogen fuelled PEMFC based hybrid powertrain system is developed for marine applications and validated both in test benches and on board the research vessel Aranda, which is one of about 300 research vessels in Europe. Special emphasis is placed on air filtration and development of hydrogen ejector solutions, for both efficiency and durability reasons. In addition, full scale freeze start testing of the system will be conducted. When research vessels are performing measurements, the main engines are turned off to minimize noise, vibration and air pollution causing disturbance in the measurements. The 165 kW (2 x 82.5 kW AC) fuel cell powertrain (hybridized with a battery) will provide power to the vessel’s electrical equipment as well as the dynamic positioning during measurements, free from vibration, noise and air pollution.

This project has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 735717. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and Hydrogen Europe and N.ERGHY

Start date: March, 2017
End date: Feburary, 2021

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Germany

Start date: September, 2014
End date: 2018

NAUTILUS, short for Nautical Integrated Hybrid Energy System for Long-haul Cruise Ships is a research project funded under EU Horizon 2020 programme.

The NAUTILUS project aims at developing, evaluating and validating a highly efficient power generation system fuelled by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) for long-haul passenger ships. The to be developed system will cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% and all other diesel engine exhaust gas emission components almost entirely.

Project duration: July 2020 – June 2024.

Since 1871, NORDEN’s business has been built on one simple promise, to be a trusted partner.
Through cycles, crises and change, customers have relied on NORDEN to move cargo safely, responsibly, and with care.

From that legacy of trust, we have built scale in a different way.
Our flexible business model allows us to operate across markets, segments and cycles – asset-heavy where it creates value, asset-light where it creates agility.

With one of the world’s largest fleets behind us, we can absorb disruption, simplify complexity and help you make better decisions – so what we build together holds up for the long run.
Scale is what turns uncertainty into stability.

At the centre sits the NORDEN platform.

More than ships and contracts, it is a global network of services, experts, data and support functions operating as one.

From advisory and risk management to decarbonisation solutions, from professional data handlers, logistics and long-term customer partnerships, the platform allows us to invest alongside our customers – and to grow together.

That is NORDEN.

Trust proven over time, scale built with purpose and a platform designed to create lasting value – well beyond the voyage.

SCIPPER will implement available and innovative techniques for monitoring the compliance of individual ships to existing sulphur and future NOx and PM air pollution regulations. Using five field measurement campaigns, one mirror campaign in Hong Kong and long-term monitoring data SCIPPER will assess the suitability, operational capacity, and cost-effectiveness of various monitoring methods. The techniques identified include on-board, on-shore in situ and optical remote, airborne, and satellite systems: assessment will be demonstrated in ports (Gothenburg, Hamburg or Rotterdam and Marseille) and in the shipping lanes of the North and Baltic Seas, English Channel and Mediterranean. Where available this will be carried out in parallel to established official monitoring methodologies.

The build-up of microorganisms, plants, algae and animals on submerged marine structures can alter the hydrodynamics of the ship, increasing drag, fuel consumption and emissions. There is currently no efficient way to evaluate the hull when the ship is in the water, and taking it out results in down-time that is costly for ship operators. Furthermore, if a ship is not taken out regularly for inspection, the likelihood of biofouling having progressed increases, resulting in the need for harsher cleaning methods that can damage the hull painting or coating. The EU-funded SleekShip project is developing a semi-autonomous underwater vehicle that will both detect slime at early stages using a multispectral camera and clean it softly with cavitation jetting. The operation can be done while the ship is docked at port for other operations or moored at sea. Commercialisation will enhance the competitiveness of ship owners while reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

The Sustainable Marine Methanol (SUMMETH) project has the overall objective of advancing the technological development and providing recommendations for introduction of methanol as an alternative fuel for coastal and inland waterway vessels to reduce their emissions and carbon footprint. The project intends to investigate methanol combustion concepts and ship fuel systems that will lead to cost effective alternatives for ship operators to reduce their emissions and carbon footprint.

Financed by: Region Västra Götaland, Swedish Maritime Administration, Methanol Institute, Oiltanking

Start: 2015
End: 2017

The aim of the TrAM project is to develop a zero emission fast going passenger vessel through advanced modular production. New manufacturing methods will contribute to 25 per cent lower production costs and 70 per cent lower engineering costs. The project is revolutionary both in terms of zero emission technology and manufacturing methods, and will contribute to making electric-powered high-speed vessel competitive in terms of both cost and the environment.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 769303.

Start date: September, 2018
Duration: 48 months