Shipping is among the most hard-to-abate sectors, emitting a billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually while transporting 90% of global trade – and its economic significance makes a sustainable transition all the more crucial. To decarbonise, the industry will have to harness the untapped potential of a suite of novel technologies. At the forefront of this approach is the CHEK (deCarbonising sHipping by Enabling Key technology symbiosis on real vessel concept designs) project, a European Union Horizon 2020-funded initiative which aims to achieve zero-emission shipping by revolutionising ship design and operation.

CHEK focuses on integrating existing innovative technologies into shipping design rather than developing new ones. “Hard-to-abate sectors like shipping need to remain competitive in global markets,” says Suvi Karirinne, coordinator of the CHEK project and director of the Vaasa Energy Business Innovation Centre (VEBIC) at the University of Vaasa. “The shipping industry has established business practices, so the goal of the CHEK project is to show them solutions that are already out there and that will work effectively in this context.”

One key driver of change in the industry is the ambitious set of greenhouse gas emission reduction targets put forward by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Another is the recent inclusion of the maritime sector in Europe’s emissions trading system. “This will help make new technologies more attractive from a cost standpoint,” says Karita Luokkanen-Rabetino, research programme manager at VEBIC. The CHEK project aims to contribute to the IMO’s goal of achieving net-zero shipping emissions by 2050 and support the European Green Deal’s objective of making Europe the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050.

Its approach centres around combinations of technologies working together. “We don’t have time to wait for a new groundbreaking technology to come along and solve all our problems,” explains Dr Karirinne. “Instead, we combined many different technologies and made them operate in symbiosis, developing the most optimal way to reduce energy consumption and emissions.” Interactions and relationships between the technologies produced better emission reductions than any one technology on its own.

Rather than fitting the technologies onto existing vessels, the CHEK team designed two new ships through a simulation process using the digital Future-Proof Vessel (FPV) Design Platform. This platform will provide a foundation to replicate CHEK’s methods on other types of vessel. “This digital tool isn’t just for new builds but will also allow for retrofitting these technologies into an existing fleet,” says Dr Karirinne.

One of CHEK’s two new ship designs was a bulk carrier fitted with BAR Technologies’ WindWings,a 37m wing sail design, reduces approximately 5 tons of CO2 daily by harnessing wind. The other was a hydrogen-powered cruise ship with an engine optimised to use hydrogen fuel, rather than diesel. Both were equipped with a combination of other technologies, aiming to achieve at least 50% energy savings. These include air lubrication, hybrid propulsion, waste heat recovery, and ultrasound anti-fouling.

The air lubrication system, designed and produced by Silverstream Technologies, changes the interaction between the vessel and the water. Air Release Units in the hull coat the bottom of the vessel with a carpet of bubbles; this reduces frictional resistance, which can cut fuel consumption and emissions by 5-10%. The hybrid propulsion system is built into both vessels to minimise their fuel consumption through the use of batteries. Waste heat recovery systems will further reduce fuel requirements, converting heat from the ships’ engines into electric power and lightening the load on the ship’s generators.

The project’s scope extends beyond reducing emissions by incorporating advanced anti-fouling technology to combat ocean pollution. Traditional anti-fouling paints designed to prevent algae and shellfish from adhering to the bottom of the vessel’s hull and thereby increasing drag, often contain harmful compounds like copper and arsenic, or polymers like Teflon. CHEK’s alternative is HASYTEC ultrasound-based antifouling technology, which generates vibrations along the hull, disrupting the fouling process.

The technologies developed in the project had already reached a stage where they could be piloted in a lab, providing CHEK with a solid foundation to discover how they interact and complement each other. “We were working with companies who had already developed these technologies to a good standard, so we had enough information to understand and explore the potential symbiotic relationships between the technologies,” says Dr Luokkanen-Rabetino.

Next, the team aims to deploy the technologies across the industry, to achieve a meaningful impact. “Our partners include global players like Cargill and MSC, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises that can work alongside them,” says Dr Karirinne. “The global players are established in the market and can contribute valuable insights and knowledge, ensuring that the project can achieve global distribution and impact.”

Their partners, BAR Technologies, Cargill, and MSC, have already initiated real-world trials. The Pyxis Ocean bulk carrier, chartered by Cargill, set sail in August 2023 retrofitted with two WindWings. Since then, it has sailed the Indian, Pacific, and North and South Atlantic oceans, passing Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope. An independent evaluation by DNV Maritime indicated that under favourable conditions, the WindWings achieved a 32% energy saving. Cargill plans to work with BAR Technologies to roll out bulk carriers equipped with three WindWings, offering further fuel savings. Other technologies are also nearing real-world deployment, with MSC ordering two ships with large fuel cell systems to add to Explora Journeys’ luxury cruise fleet in 2027 and 2028.”

CHEK’s approach is designed to be replicable across various vessel types, including tankers, container ships, general cargo ships, and ferries. Many of the technologies are ready to be trialled at scale, but first require updated policy and regulatory frameworks to instil confidence in companies considering deployment. For instance, there is a lack of comprehensive regulatory standards for hydrogen fuel cells in shipping. “There’s currently a lot of uncertainty around the trajectory of new technologies,” says Dr Luokkanen-Rabetino. “Policy clarity is very important to reduce this uncertainty and make investment more attractive.”

CHEK analysed the issues impacting long-distance shipping today, including infrastructure availability, legislation and business models, to ensure the proposed vessel designs can be deployed in reality. Mechanisms like the European Commission’s Ship Financing Portal, focused on fleet renewal and retrofitting for energy efficiency and environmental impact, are helpful, but more work is needed. “I hope that research and innovation funding will continue to make sure that companies can move forward with developing these technologies,” says Dr Karirinne. “We’ve demonstrated that these technologies can have a positive impact, and now we need to turn them into viable business solutions.”