On 17 April 2026, the MARPOWER project participated in the final event of the ZHENIT project, held in Augusta, Sicily, Italy,. The event marked the conclusion of the ZHENIT project, showcasing its main results and technological advancements while bringing together several Horizon Europe initiatives working on innovative solutions for maritime decarbonisation.
The programme combined technical presentations with discussion sessions involving ZHENIT and several related projects, including RESHIP, LH2CRAFT, FLEETfor55, SAFeCRAFT, ENGIMMONIA and MARPOWER. The event was complemented by the final General Assembly and included a visit to the vessel TESEO, where ZHENIT technologies were presented in a real operational environment.
From a technical perspective, discussions highlighted the central role of integrated energy systems in enabling both near-term and long-term emission reductions in shipping. Solutions such as waste heat recovery, hybrid propulsion, advanced energy management systems and digital tools were identified as key enablers to improve vessel efficiency while preparing the sector for the uptake of zero-carbon fuels.
The MARPOWER perspective
As part of the MARPOWER delegation, Fiorella Valenti from RINA Consulting participated in the session dedicated to collaborative projects, where she presented MARPOWER’s approach to improving onboard energy efficiency through an advanced, fuel-flexible energy conversion system designed for maritime applications.
From the MARPOWER perspective, the event confirmed strong synergies with several of the projects presented. In particular, ZHENIT demonstrated the potential of waste heat recovery and onboard energy management to deliver significant efficiency gains, closely aligned with MARPOWER’s approach of integrating waste heat recovery within advanced gas turbine-based power systems.
At the same time, projects such as SAFeCRAFT, LH2CRAFT and ENGIMMONIA provided valuable insights into key challenges related to fuel flexibility, system integration, safety and regulatory readiness for hydrogen- and ammonia-based solutions. These aspects are directly relevant to MARPOWER’s development pathway.
A recurring theme across the event was the importance of scalability, replicability and digital validation tools, including digital twins, to support informed decision-making before full-scale deployment. These priorities strongly resonate with MARPOWER’s ambition to combine high-efficiency power conversion, fuel flexibility and advanced modelling approaches to reduce both emissions and investment risks for shipowners.
Collaboration across the European ecosystem
The ZHENIT final event reinforced the value of collaboration among Horizon Europe projects and highlighted concrete opportunities for future cooperation, particularly in areas such as system integration, regulatory dialogue and joint exploitation pathways.
MARPOWER team member Giorgia Abbate from RINA Services also attended the event. In the ZHENIT project, RINA Services acts as an affiliated entity of RINA Consulting, while both organisations are partners in MARPOWER, further strengthening the links between the two initiatives.
Reflecting on the event, Fiorella Valenti commented:
“Overall, the event provided a valuable opportunity to exchange with several Horizon Europe projects and to discuss concrete technological pathways for maritime decarbonisation. It also highlighted how collaboration can accelerate the development and deployment of innovative solutions across the sector”.
The exchange confirmed that MARPOWER is well positioned within a growing ecosystem of European initiatives working towards climate-neutral maritime transport, contributing to a coordinated effort to advance cleaner, more efficient and resilient energy systems for shipping.