Project description
AI-powered energy management for shipping fleets
Waterborne transport is at a climate crossroads. Since most of today’s fleet will remain operational beyond 2040, scalable and cost-effective retrofit solutions are urgently needed to achieve immediate emission reductions. The EU-funded AIMPERES project will develop an AI-powered energy management system (EMS) to reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions across existing shipping fleets. The system combines low-cost marine-hardened exhaust monitoring for real-time pollutant data, hybrid digital twins integrating physics-based models and machine learning, optimised ship energy architectures, and a crew-centric dashboard providing actionable operational guidance. The modular EMS can be adapted to different vessel types. AIMPERES aims to achieve at least 5 % fuel savings and 12-25 % emission reductions, creating a profitable sustainability pathway.
Objective
Waterborne transport is at a climate crossroads, with its significant emissions threatening EU Green Deal objectives. As the vast majority of today’s fleet will operate beyond 2040, waiting for new-build solutions is not an option. The sector urgently needs scalable, cost-effective retrofit technologies to unlock immediate emission reductions. AIMPERES answers this call with a breakthrough AI-powered Energy Management System (EMS) that delivers immediate, cost-effective fuel optimization and emission reductions for the existing fleet.
Our approach follows a clear data→models→optimization→crew action pipeline and combines three core innovations: 1) low-cost, marine-hardened exhaust monitoring systems providing accurate, real-time data on key pollutants (CO2, NOₓ, SOₓ); 2) hybrid digital twins that merge the robustness of physics-based models with the adaptive accuracy of machine learning to optimize vessel performance with the EMS; 3) development of optimised ship energy architectures; and 4) an intuitive, crew-centric decision support dashboard that translates complex analytics into clear, actionable guidance. The modular adaptable EMS architecture can adapt to any vessel, leveraging existing hardware with minimal installation.
AIMPERES will validate this retrofit-ready EMS system at TRL6 across inland, coastal, and deep-sea shipping vessels. By delivering fuel savings of at least 5% and emission reductions of 12–25%, AIMPERES makes sustainability a profitable business case, especially for SMEs, and provide a vital bridge to future zero-emission solutions by reducing overall energy demand and building operational readiness. Our cross-sector consortium, uniting leading research institutions, industry innovators, and maritime educators, covers the entire value chain from system design to real-world validation, ensuring our solution is not only technologically advanced but also operationally viable and aligned with the sector's needs.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels
- natural sciences computer and information sciences artificial intelligence machine learning
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering naval engineering sea vessels
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering control engineering
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.5 - Climate, Energy and Mobility
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL5-2025-04
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
80686 Munchen
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.