This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of marine propulsion research to investigate its historical development, current landscape, and future directions. Through the analysis of scientific literature retrieved from the Scopus database, the study employs Biblioshiny and VOSviewer software for data visualization and trend exploration. The analysis uncovers key research trajectories, dominant thematic areas, influential keywords, and leading contributing countries. The results reveal a growing global focus on sustainable and energy-efficient propulsion technologies, with particular attention to electric and hybrid systems. However, the adoption of clean propulsion alternatives remains constrained by technological limitations and economic feasibility, indicating that electric propulsion is still in a relatively nascent stage within the maritime sector. As the maritime industry advances toward decarbonization, this study highlights the untapped potential of alternative propulsion systems, including the relatively underexplored domain of pneumatic propulsion.