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.

eWAVE brings together 18 research, technology and shipbuilding experts to mature High-Voltage (HV) technology for electric vessels for future uptake in European shipbuilding sector, using efficient HV electric modular battery and distribution systems. It will research, develop and demonstrate solutions for sustainable maritime and inland vessels. However, the widespread adoption of such HV technology is hindered by several obstacles (e.g. current battery systems’ energy density, safety concerns, durable & sustainable materials), and, finally, economic viability/sustainability. This will be achieved by using new high-energy-density high-nickel-content batteries for waterborne applications in a lightweight housing made of recyclable thermoplastics, wired and wireless BMS solutions and multi-level converters that provide the required scalability for vessel systems up to 1MWh and far beyond. The battery system will be fostered by an integral safety system concept considering thermal runaway & ventilation, supported by an integrated real-time condition monitoring system using novel SoC/SoH algorithms and SoS estimation. The key results of eWAVE will be validated via laboratory and real-life vessel demonstrators. The applicability of the system will be investigated across multiple vessel types using an efficient modular digital twin to maximize industry uptake. To further improve circularity and sustainability of maritime battery systems, eWAVE will explore bio-based battery housings, a design for dismantling and recycling, the creation of a battery passport concept for the maritime sector, and potential 2nd life applications for the batteries. eWAVE’s HV technology solutions, tools and methods are expected to significantly improve the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of battery systems in shipping, thus supporting transition to all-electric shipping and contributing to the reduction of the environmental footprint of waterborne transport in the EU and far beyond.

FLEETfor55 is an ambitious project to align the European waterborne sector with the EU's "Fit for 55" environmental targets for 2030. This will be done through a holistic roadmap that identifies the most cost effective and sustainable implementation of Energy Efficiency Technologies (EETs) onboard short sea, inland waterway and high seas vessels. To achieve this, FLEETfor55 will evaluate EETs paired with new vessel designs and retrofits – collectively defined as use cases. Six retrofit use cases and four new vessel design use cases, each employing a "design-for-operation" approach will be optimised for both energy use and environmental compliance throughout each use case’s lifetime and for different operational scenarios. Additionally, the project will integrate a decision support system into a web-based digital platform to rapidly assess and benchmark use cases, achieving quantifiable energy efficiency savings and reduced emissions. This system assesses use cases with the help of key performance indicators that align with the EU’s 'Fit for 55' legislative package and the International Maritime Organization’s indices such as CII/DCS, EEXI, and EEDI. Key strategies include developing detailed business models for each use case to ensure market adoption, and the establishment of the Technologies Innovation Network. The latter will ensure that EETs are effectively matched with end users, promoting the adoption and practical implementation of new technologies in the waterborne transportation sector. These initiatives position FLEETfor55 not only meet stringent EU environmental standards but also to set a new benchmark for future environmental excellence in waterborne transportation.