Hydrogen is an energy carrier with great potential for clean, efficient power in transport applications. Hydrogen can be obtained from different sources, which in combination with fuel cells it can improve energy efficiency especially when hydrogen is produced by renewable energy sources. The action proposed tries to introduce hydrogen as an alternative fuel in the port industry. The H2Ports project is an Action aligned with the needs and objectives of the European Commission and the port industry. The aim is to provide efficient solutions to facilitate a fast evolution from a fossil fuel based industry towards a low carbon and zero-emission sector. Hydrogen has been proved in other logistics and transportation sectors as a solution to power machinery and vehicles, therefore the action proposes different pilots to bridge the gap between prototypes and pre-commercial products: • The first prototype will comprise a reach stacker powered with hydrogen and tested under a real life trial, in a Port Container Terminal. • The second prototype will comprise a yard tractor equipped with a set of fuel cells. The design will enable the tractor to perform different operations like container horizontal transport or ro-ro loading/unloading operations. • The third prototype will comprise a mobile Hydrogen supply station, which will provide the needed fuel under the appropriate thermodynamic conditions for guaranteeing the continuous working cycles of the abovementioned equipment. The H2Ports project would also have a transversal objective that consists on developing a sustainable hydrogen supply chain at the port, coordinating all actors involved: customers, hydrogen producers, suppliers, etc. The expected results of the project are to test and validate hydrogen-powered solutions in the port-maritime industry, with the aim of having applicable and real solutions without affecting to port operations while producing zero local emissions.

Electrification of maritime and IW vessels shows a low progress, since there are several challenges that need to be overcome before battery energy storage systems (BESS) can compete with other solutions towards the decarbonization of vessels. The main challenges are related to the: (i) weight of the BESS, since a high storage capacity represents a significant share of the vessel’s cargo capacity in small/medium sized vessels, (ii) the reliability so that to ensure the trouble-free routing and reduction of operating and maintenance costs, and (iii) the safety that is the key to enable the large-scale adoption and remove any concern of vessel owners. These three aspects constitute the Innovation Pillars of HARPOONERS, and drive the development of a unique modular concept for interfacing with HV on-board grids, characterized by a high compactness due to the integration of key components in a single configuration, thus eliminating the transformer and a cooling system. This “AC battery system” will be developed together with the management systems for a reliable operation in future powertrains of all-electric or hybrid vessels with reduced emissions. The outcome is a reduced weight, reliable and safer BESS that will allow the uptake of the HARPOONERS solution in both maritime and IW vessels, to further increase the battery capacity and achieve a longer autonomy. This is extremely beneficial in small/medium vessels, in which full electrification will be possible, thus eliminating the use of the combustion engine and its associated CO2 and other emissions, but also on large vessels in which the HARPOONERS solution with less use of raw materials will lead to a reduced environmental impact and lower manufacturing and maintenance costs. To achieve this, HARPOONERS has gathered a balanced European-wide partnership with organizations from the key value chains, such as research, battery system and power electronics manufacturers, shipping owners, and a Classification Society.

AENEAS aims to contribute towards climate-neutral and environmental friendly water transport through three new next generation clean energy storage solutions. Eventual impact is an increase of the global competitiveness of the EU waterborne transport sector by European technology leadership for energy storage solutions for diverse waterborne applications. It will focus on increased and early deployment of climate neutral energy storage solutions and significant electrification of shipping. AENEAS will provide solutions to improve overall energy efficiency and drastically lower energy consumption of waterborne transport vessels, founded upon innovative electric energy storage, which is safe and cost competitiveness compared to traditional batteries. To achieve this, AENEAS will develop three innovative electric Energy Storage Solutions (ESS) for waterborne transport, which are advanced beyond the traditional battery systems: - Solid-state batteries (SSB) for constant load waterborne transport applications. - Supercapacitors (SC) for water-borne transport applications for shaving of power peak demands and peaks during loading. - Hybrid system, which combines SSB and SC for waterborne transport applications requiring high energy and power density energy storage solutions The solutions enable (partial or full) electric shipping, taking into account conditions specific ships might encounter, including adverse conditions outside sheltered waters or going upstream on rivers. AENEAS will evaluate them for a range of applications and end uses in short-sea shipping and in-land waterways. For each of these three ESSs, one use-case will be demonstrated at TRL 5. At the same time AENEAS will define the pathway for the three ESSs for application in different ship types, achieving a comprehensive understanding of the ESSs and their applicability for diverse waterborne transport. Finally AENEAS will define a roadmap for full scale on-board demonstrators of two ESSs by 2027.

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.

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.