b4b has patented and developed a highly novel wingsail based on aeronautics which, making use of the wind as renewable energy source for propulsion, reduces up to 30% of the fuel used in maritime transport (merchant vessels, fishing vessels, passenger vessels, etc.), reducing operating costs and the environmental impact of the maritime industry, also complying with new International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulations and the European Green Deal goals. So far, the company has two patented different type of wingsails: a foldable wingsail more suitable for vessels with space and maneuverability restrictions; and a suction-based wingsail (eSAIL), suitable for vessels with no restrictions and also more affordable for smaller vessels, like fishing vessels.

ZHENIT overall objective is to promote Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) as key and “ready-to-implement” solutions to achieve 2030 IMO/EU targets for shipping sector decarbonization. ZHENIT goal is to fully untap “on-board WH potential” developing and validating WHR solutions at different temperature levels towards the exploitation of WH for different on-board services (cooling, power, desalination) thus able to valorise heat in different vessel processes like: WH-to-Trigeneration via an innovative recuperated ORC integrated with an heat pumpt with ejector (T>100°C – NTUA); WH-to-Cooling and Desalination via an adsorption system (70

The proposal develops a combination of energy-saving solutions that can be adopted in retrofitting aimed at achieving the 35% of GHG emissions. Two new technologies, i.e. wind assisted ship propulsion and an innovative air lubrication system, will be developed together with other solutions that, although based on already mature technologies, such as operational and hydrodynamic design optimization and ship electrification, have to be expanded to be integrated with the new solutions as well as to cope with the constraints posed by the original ship design. The final objective of RETROFIT55 is to create an advanced web-based Decision Support System (DSS), that fuses together digital twins of the different systems into an integrated digital ship model. The DSS will feature a catalogue of retrofitting solutions that are up-to-date and ready to be deployed at the end of the project and easily extendable afterward while developed and demonstrated at TRL 7-8, suitable for different ship types and operational contexts. The DSS will enable the user to configure the retrofitting by combining different options which are suitable for the specific ship type and comparing them in terms of life-cycle cost, return-of-investment and several KPIs, such as EEXI, CII. Referring to the ZEWT strategy, while primarily contributing to the Design and Retrofit, the implementation of the project will also intersect other topics, such as Use of Sustainable Alternative fuels, Energy Efficiency, Electrification and Digital Green. The consortium brings together universities and research institutions, three developers of the new technologies, a ship design office, software developers, ICT experts, a classification society, a ship-repair company, and two large ship operators.

SEASTARS main objective is to demonstrate a well-to-wake GHG emissions reduction of minimum 30% by 2030 (compared to 2008) as well as a 20% energy efficiency improvement (compared to 2022 reference performance) on eight market-ready vessel designs (4 retrofits and 4 newbuilds) addressing inland, short and high-seas shipping by combining different emission reduction and efficiency improvement technologies that will be market ready by the end of the EU project. The project aims at incorporating different technical efficiency measures directly related to the vessel’s hydrodynamic, by propeller-hull optimization and air lubrication implementation, the vessel’s machinery, by selecting different technologies such as fuel cells, electric motors, integrated solar panels, sails and electrochemical storage systems, and the vessel’s Energy, by exploring different alternative fuels such as biofuels, hydrogen, methanol, LNG, ammonia and different energy treatment systems like fuel preparation, fuel reforming, cold ironing, pre-combustion and post-combustion Carbone Capture Storage (CCS). Through the use of an advanced design methodology derived from Systems Engineering (SE), known as Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and a phased assembly-to-order approach, SEASTARS will help shipowners not only to evaluate the vessel’s emission reduction and efficiency enhancement but also to generate appropriate action-time plans for the decarbonization process and to quantify the related investment decisions, so to adapt their fleet to be always in line with the imposed regulation. Emission reduction and efficiency improvement technologies are designed as modules that can be added, scaled up or replaced in phases over time into a ship that is designed in a flexible and traceable way, enabling decreasing emissions progressively while maintaining a reasonable investment risk, controlled by the shipowners.

The TwinShip consortium is spearheading an initiative to transform the maritime sector by creating an alliance of premier maritime technology, solution & service providers, ship design and shipping firms, classification societies, ports, software developers, and research and academic bodies. This collaboration is centered around a unique, open-source digital platform enriched with data and powered by domain knowledge-based advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities. By introducing a Digital Twin (DT) enabled Decision Support System (DSS) in the same digital platform, TwinShip is setting a course for the maritime industry's rapid digital and environmental transformation. The project sets ambitious benchmarks for reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions in international shipping, aiming for a 30-40% reduction by 2030, 80-90% by 2040, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2045, all relative to 2008 levels by utilizing its Pilot Vessels and Futuristic Unmanned Vessel Concept. This initiative focuses on leveraging both existing and emergent clean fuels and technologies, prioritizing renewable energy sources, and the implementation of unmanned vessels. The TwinShip DT-enabled DSS is crafted to navigate the industry toward achieving these significant environmental targets, demonstrating the consortium's dedication to fostering sustainability and pushing the boundaries of innovation.