In the ORCELLE project we will develop and demonstrate a solution for wind as main propulsion. With wind as main propulsion we mean an energy efficiency gain of more than 50% as an average saving in full year operation. Under ideal sailing conditions the energy efficiency gains are close to 100%. Engines are only used in situations with insufficient wind resources, for manoeuvring and increased ship safety. ORCELLE builds on several large previous projects where we have worked to build simulation tools, wing systems and initial designs of a prototype vessel. In this project we combine improvements to the simulation framework and wing systems by building two physical demonstrators: A 1-wing retrofit (targeting 10% efficiency gains) and a multi-wing newbuilt demonstrator (targeting +50% efficiency gains overall). The demonstrators are RoRo (PCTC) vessels that will operate in a trans-Atlantic route transporting cars and other cargo. We have an extensive set of sensor systems onboard the ships which will allow them to function as research vessels to validate & improve designs, simulation tools and prototype designs of ship & wing systems. A tailored, dynamic weather routing software and service will be developed to optimize sailing performance. The project is a strong opportunity to combine the investments needed to get full scale demonstration and data capture with advanced models and tools for wing propulsion vessels. The project coordinator is Wallenius Wilhelmsen, a world leading RoRo logistics operator with some 130 RoRo vessels in global service. Beyond the demonstrator, we use the models and tools to develop advanced conceptual designs and operational plans for multiple vessel types: Tanker/bulk carriers, shortsea vessels, containerships, cruise and ferries. This forms the basis for our dissemination & exploitation work to enable a large-scale shift towards wind as the main propulsion on a very high percentage of vessels (relevant for 80%+ of the world fleet).

Underwater radiated noise (URN) by ships is one of main anthropogenic sources of noise in the marine environment. Transport by ship has been hailed as a green mean of transportation, at the same time, trapped under the water surface, the noise has been overlooked when considering the impact and the effects of human activities on marine species. On 11 March 24, a notice from the EC has been issued on the threshold values for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC. For continuous URN, the threshold for the habitat size of target species exceeding the Level of onset of Biologically adverse Effects (LOBE) has been set to 20%. While this notice does not set a specific limit for ship noise levels, it requires member states to evaluate the state of conservation of waters and take actions as needed. Many projects have brought to light that the marine environment is influenced by marine traffic to a level and in ways that were not obvious to predict. E.g. AQUO project has drawn attention to the effects on different marine species. SONIC looked into the noise generated by cavitating propeller. Both projects led to the development of a series of criteria to quantify the harmfulness of URN and measures to reduce it, though without demonstrating the measures in full scale. These projects were followed by PIAQUO and SATURN that have moved the focus towards regulating the noise emission of ships and implementing solutions for its reduction. The LOWNOISER project aims to bring the effort towards quieter ocean closer to reality than previous projects by showing the effectiveness of noise reduction solutions, i.e. technologies, measures and management strategies, that have a high TRL with full/large scale demonstrators. Also, the project is developing better tools for predicting URN, showing that noise reduction solutions are environmentally friendly in the sense of GHG emissions while being economically viable and safe.

ShipFC’s main mission is to prove and show the case for large-scale zero-emission shipping. We do this through developing, piloting and replicating a modular 2MW fuel cell technology using ammonia as fuel. The project will first adapt and scale-up existing fuel cell solutions to a 2MW system, develop ship and land fuel systems for ammonia and integrate the full system onboard a large offshore construction vessel. Then the solution will be validated through commercial operation for at least 3000 hours during a one-year period. Moreover, socio-technical models and analysis will be performed and a full feasibility study on a series of additional vessels will be conducted.

The Apollo project will mature and demonstrate in operational environment, the disruptive installation of a dual fuel ammonia engine in an offshore supply vessel to ammonia operation reducing emissions by 70%. The project is developed to closely answer the HORIZON-CL5-2022-D5-01-04 topic of transformation of the existing fleet towards greener operations through retrofitting (ZEWT Partnership). The specific objectives include: 1) Successful large-scale demonstration of the use of dual-fuel ICE (ammonia-based) in an existing vessel; 2) Complete first classification under DNV “Gas fuelled, Ammonia”; 3) 70% reduction of CO2 emissions and NOx emissions below 2.4 g/kWh from vessel operations; 4) Complete retrofitting solution to operate on ammonia, through development of safe ammonia storage and operation, including both deck load or below deck tanks; 5) Demonstrate the retrofit in replicators in other two vessels with different use (dredging and offshore construction) and validate feasibility for scaling; 6) Support to the expansion of the ammonia bunkering network in the North Sea and beyond, obtain 100% green ammonia for the project’s needs; 7) Validated business case for ammonia as a ship fuel with operational expenditures <130% from baseline by project end. The Apollo solution will be flexible, so ship owners, ship designers, shipyards, classification agencies and insurance companies can quickly adopt it into their decision-making processes. The consortium will prepare the business case for ammonia in the waterborne transport sector, from the production of green ammonia to its use in different ships on the European scale.

The project will develop and validate a concept for modular design and production of vessels. We combine advantages of scale and standardisation with customisation options, allowing small-series and one-off vessel construction, using interchangeable modules across vessel types. Even though parts of our work will have a wider relevance, we focus on inshore vessels (operating coastal areas and inland waterways) with electric power systems. The project is divided in three phases: Specification, innovation, and replication. In the specification phase, we perform a wide meta-analysis of both user needs and existing technological solutions, coupled with case-studies of needs and technologies for four targeted use cases. In the innovation phase, we develop the modular design concept; combining theoretical approaches, cross-fertilisation of methods from other industries (mostly rail and automotive), deep maritime experience in the relevant areas (including hull design, propulsion and electric power systems) and heavy involvement by operators (including three as consortium partners). The concept is applied to, and refined through, four demonstrators: Two ferries, a workboat and a vessel for goods traffic on inland waterways. At least one of the demonstrators will be physically built, co-financed by Rogaland County Council and its transport subsidiary Kolumbus, and used to operate a multi-stop commuter route into Stavanger. It will be a fully electric fast passenger ferry, operating in a region that is a substantial exporter of hydropower. In the replication phase, we will further validate the concept through five additional demonstrators (planning and simulation level) together with operators that did not participate in the details of the first two phases. Our aim is that the modular concept will prove to work as a general purpose toolkit within our market segment, proving that a wide set of vessel types can built in a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly manner.