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.

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 need to reduce energy consumption and emissions to bring global warming to a halt is unprecedented. Although there are energy saving strategies, most innovations cannot simply be merged in conventional ship design. As the solution for making ships carbon neutral will likely come from the use of several energy sources, a clever energy management becomes a key element in a unified ship system. De-rating of engines combined with sailing at slower speed seems to be a relatively easy way to reduce fuel consumption and GHG emissions and will most likely be used in the industry. However, this does come with reduced transport work per ship and reduced earnings. In our view, most other savings methods can deliver savings up to about 15%, not the substantial savings that are required. OPTIWISE aims at two solutions that when combined go well beyond 30% when the innovations are delivered as proposed in this project: Wind propulsion with a rigorous, holistic optimised ship design, control and operation, including a change in conventional propeller propulsion. Wind propulsion is showing its potential in research and market introductions. The holistic ship design and operation pair well with that. For common ships there is much to be gained, especially with the increased freedom in the aft ship geometry with a shift to electric propulsion. Making best use of wind propulsion also requires a rethink of designs, control and operations. To meet the objectives of this call, generic tool and methodology development are planned for optimization, performance and energy management. New developments will be applied to 3 Demo cases, consisting of a Bulk Carrier, a Tanker and a Passenger Vessel. Verification of the results will be done by testing a rotor sail rig, model tests on two ships and Bridge simulations with crew training. By the end of this project it will be clear how much energy can be save with the latest sail propulsion systems for the three types of vessels investigated

This proposal is for the creation of a Research and Innovation Action aimed at advancing innovation in the Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) sector (topic MG.4.4-2014). It is called “PROMINENT – Promoting Innovation in the Inland Waterways Transport Sector” and will address the key needs for technological development, as well as the barriers to innovation and greening in the European inland navigation sector. PROMINENT thereby is fully in line with the objectives of the European action programme NAIADES-II. PROMINENT addresses all topics included in call MG.4.4-2014 and is geared towards reaching its full impacts during the project lifetime. PROMINENT is ultimately aimed at providing solutions which make inland navigation as competitive as road transport in terms of air pollutant emissions by 2020 and beyond. In parallel PROMINENT aims to further decrease the energy consumption and carbon footprint of IWT, an area where IWT has already a strong advantage compared to road transport. PROMINENT will focus on: • Massive transition towards efficient and clean vessels. • Certification and monitoring of emission performance and development of innovative regimes • Harmonisation and modernisation of professional qualifications and the stimulation of the further integration of IWT into sustainable transport chains. PROMINENT will achieve the following targets: - develop cost-effective solutions applicable to 70% of the fleet and reduce the implementation costs by 30%; - involve all relevant stakeholders; - actively address and remove implementation barriers by 2020. The PROMINENT partners have found broad support among political and commercial decision makers in the field of inland navigation. Through its direct access to relevant industrial stakeholders and Member States the consortium has obtained significant backup needed to perform the work. The commitment of these organisations will lead to a high acceptance and further dissemination of results.