Fundación Valenciaport will boost energy efficiency on ships through FLEETFor55 project

FLEETFor55 will align the European maritime sector with the EU’s ‘Fit For 55’ targets for 2030.
The project will ensure optimal exploitation of emission reduction technologies in both short-sea and inland and deep-sea vessels
The initiative has a budget of around €10 million, co-funded by CINEA’s Horizon Europe program

Valencia, 20th February 2025. – Between yesterday and today was held in Athens, Greece, the kick-off meeting of the sustainability and energy efficiency project FLEETfor55 ‘State-of-the-art sustainable energy efficiency technologies roadmap for waterborne transport towards the fit-for-55 guidance compliance‘.

The initiative, led by Hydrus Engineering and in which Fundación Valenciaport participates, has a budget of nearly 10 million euros, co-financed by the Horizon Europe program of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).

FLEETfor55 focuses its activities on improving the sustainability and efficiency of maritime operations, in line with the European Union’s ‘Fit for 55’ program to be implemented in 2030.

The aim of the initiative is to ensure the assessment, integration and optimal exploitation of emission reduction and energy efficiency improvement technologies, collectively referred to as Energy Efficiency Technologies (EETs), and their combinations. Its area of application covers both short-sea and inland and offshore vessels. To achieve its objectives, 10 use cases will be developed during the project: 4 new builds and 6 retrofits of existing vessels.

FLEETFor55 will also create a design and operations assessment tool and decision support system to demonstrate which combinations of EETs and which vessels can achieve optimal efficiency for specific operating profiles. Such a tool will apply modeling and evaluation of the energy system on a life-cycle basis through rapid simulation to demonstrate and validate the expected savings and benefits.

Moreover, FLEETFor55 will carry out the evaluation of a risk analysis framework, as well as the exploitation and dissemination of the results, with the objective of minimizing the environmental impact of ships throughout their lifetime. It will also establish a technological innovation network that brings together technology supplier companies.

Fundación Valenciaport will participate in the data collection of the life cycle and business model analysis, evaluate the role of ports in the energy transition and support the dynamization of the external advisory board.

The FLEETFor55 Consortium

A total of 22 European entities are involved in the project: Hydrus Engineering, Fundación Valenciaport, RINA Services, ABS Hellenic, the National Technical University of Athens, University of Patras, Watermelon Consulting, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), DNV GL HELLAS, Atlantec Enterprise Solutions, Epsilon International, Magellan Circle – European Affairs Consultancy, University of Strathclyde, Fincantieri, Cetena, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), Construcciones Navales P. Freire, DST Entwicklungszentrum für Schiffstechnik und Transportsysteme EV, Superfast Ferries, Columbia Shipmanagement, Sekavin Replenishment Stations For Transportation Means Tourist Enterprises and Stealth Maritime Corporation. S.A.