Project description
Advancing zero-emission technologies for maritime sector
The maritime sector’s transition to zero-emission transport is crucial for reducing environmental impact. Current power systems rely on fossil fuels, contributing to significant CO2 emissions. There is a need for advanced technologies that use sustainable alternative fuels effectively. High efficiency and fuel flexibility are key to this transition. To tackle this challenge, the EU-funded MARPOWER project will develop an advanced gas turbine system. This system can use green methane, green methanol, hydrogen, and ammonia, achieving up to 55 % electrical efficiency and 76 % overall efficiency. Its modular design supports both electrical power generation and Combined Heat and Power mode. By reducing maritime CO2 emissions, MARPOWER aims to boost European leadership in the sector.
Objective
The transition of the waterborne fleet to a zero-emission mode of transport critically depends on the development of power conversion systems that effectively can use sustainable alternative fuels. Going beyond the state-of-the-art in gas turbine technology, MARPOWER will deliver a highly efficient system endowed with an intercooled recuperative two-shaft gas turbine with a bottoming cycle.
The modularity and versatility of the system is a unique function and provides its own competitive benefit, it is designed for flexible use of neutral (green methane, green methanol) and zero-emissions (hydrogen, ammonia) fuels, and it can reach up to 50-55% electrical efficiency and 73-76% overall electrical+thermal efficiency. In this sense, it can be operated to optimise the electrical power generation on-board a ship, but also to be operated in Combined Heat and Power (CHP) mode, both modes will be assessed through two case studies.
MARPOWER will optimise the design of the turbomachinery components which are essential and specifically conceived for using zero-emission fuels. Accordingly, it will develop a new fuel-flexible combustion concept, in which the combustor will be able to run on 100% hydrogen or other neutral or zero-emission fuels without any additional changes to the combustion system. High efficiencies will be additionally fostered by the integration of an Active Magnetic Bearings (AMB) technology for control of long high-speed shafts.
The impacts generated from MARPOWER will allow the creation of a value chain for the construction and deployment of the energy conversion system in different types of ships worldwide, achieving significant economic, social, and environmental impacts, and therefore boosting European leadership in the maritime sector: The project can contribute significantly to the decarbonisation of the maritime sector avoiding the emission of more than 2.3 million of tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringpower engineeringelectric power generationcombined heat and power
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryalcohols
- social sciencessocial geographytransport
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryaliphatic compounds
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsenergy conversion
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
53850 Lappeenranta
Finland