The decarbonisation of maritime transport requires not only continued improvements in efficiency, but also new system architectures capable of integrating fuel flexibility, heat recovery and operational adaptability. Meeting the International Maritime Organization’s climate objectives calls for a new generation of clean energy systems for shipping, designed from the outset to combine efficiency, fuel flexibility, operational resilience and regulatory readiness within a single architecture.
MARPOWER addresses this challenge through the development of its Energy Conversion System, a fully integrated solution based on a two-shaft gas turbine combined with waste heat recovery. It is not a standalone turbine or an isolated component upgrade, but a complete energy conversion architecture specifically engineered for maritime applications.
The concept combines advanced turbomachinery, innovative combustion technologies, thermal energy recovery and digital validation tools within a coordinated system-level approach. The objective is to maximise overall efficiency while enabling operation with sustainable and net-zero fuels and ensuring compatibility with evolving environmental and safety standards.
A system-level approach rather than component optimisation
Many existing marine power solutions are based on internal combustion engine technologies that have been continuously optimised for efficiency and reliability over decades. While these systems have progressively evolved to accommodate alternative fuels such as LNG and, more recently, methanol, their underlying architectures impose constraints when targeting full optimisation for emerging zero-carbon fuels and increasingly stringent long-term carbon intensity requirements.
What differentiates MARPOWER is its system-level design philosophy. From the outset, efficiency, fuel flexibility, heat recovery, integration constraints and safety requirements have been addressed simultaneously rather than sequentially. The two-shaft configuration enables operational flexibility, while the waste heat recovery process maximises overall performance by capturing and converting thermal energy that would otherwise be lost.
Rather than focusing on the optimisation of individual components alone, MARPOWER approaches energy conversion as an integrated process in which thermodynamic performance, compactness, scalability and ship integration must evolve together. This coordinated approach supports the potential for higher overall system efficiency compared to current maritime gas turbine configurations, particularly through integrated heat recovery and system-level optimisation.
The project also introduces a strong focus on modularity and versatility. Depending on operational requirements, the system can support electricity generation as well as Combined Heat and Power (CHP) applications, enabling more efficient use of thermal energy onboard ships.
Designed from the outset for sustainable and net-zero fuels
A central aspect of MARPOWER’s system configuration is the early integration of high-efficiency performance with the fuel-flexible operation of gas turbine technology, within the constraints of maritime application and the selected AMB system design. MARPOWER’s Energy Conversion System is being developed with the capability to operate with 100 per cent renewable hydrogen while maintaining compatibility with other sustainable fuels such as green methane and green methanol.
Rather than relying solely on the retrofitting of existing fossil-based systems, the design places early emphasis on accommodating a broad range of alternative fuels within the system architecture. Given the uncertainty surrounding the long-term fuel mix for international shipping, this flexibility reduces technological lock-in and enhances long-term resilience.
While gas turbine technology already offers a high degree of inherent fuel flexibility, integrating this capability within a maritime energy conversion system introduces additional engineering challenges. These relate in particular to combustion optimisation for low-emission operation with zero-carbon fuels, materials performance under varying fuel conditions, and the development of robust control strategies. Addressing these challenges while maintaining high overall system efficiency is a key aspect of the project’s advancement and represents a step forward compared to current marine energy system integration approaches.
The project also considers broader operational challenges linked to fuel availability, infrastructure development and future regulatory evolution, helping ensure that the system remains adaptable to different maritime scenarios and deployment pathways.
Integration readiness for real maritime environments
Innovation in maritime energy conversion cannot remain theoretical. Deployment requires compliance with international safety standards, classification requirements and ship integration constraints.
MARPOWER’s Energy Conversion System is therefore being developed with integration readiness as a fundamental criterion. The design is being developed in alignment with the International Code of Safety for Ships using Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code) and considers shipyard integration parameters from an early stage. This ensures that performance improvements are achieved in a way that supports practical implementation onboard vessels.
In parallel, advanced modelling and digital validation tools are embedded within the development process. By combining thermodynamic optimisation with digital simulation, the project supports scalability assessments, system validation and operational analysis before future physical demonstration phases.
The project’s digital approach also enables the evaluation of different ship integration scenarios, operational profiles and energy management strategies, supporting the future deployment of the system across different vessel categories.
What differentiates MARPOWER
Taken together, several elements position MARPOWER beyond current maritime power generation approaches:
- A complete energy conversion architecture rather than standalone component optimisation
- A system-level design philosophy integrating efficiency, heat recovery, fuel flexibility and ship integration
- Compatibility with sustainable and net-zero fuels from the earliest design stages
- A modular and versatile configuration suitable for different maritime operational scenarios
- Integration readiness aligned with international maritime safety and regulatory requirements
- Advanced modelling and digital validation embedded throughout the development process
Through this comprehensive approach, MARPOWER contributes to the development of clean energy systems for shipping that are not only efficient, but also adaptable, scalable and suitable for future maritime deployment.
MARPOWER brings together eleven European partners with complementary expertise spanning energy systems, turbomachinery, combustion technologies, ship integration, classification and digital modelling. Coordinated by LUT University, the consortium also includes Aurelia Technologies, Alfa Laval, Politecnico di Milano, RINA Consulting, RINA Services the University of Vigo,, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Zabala Innovation.. By combining research, industrial and maritime expertise, the project is advancing integrated clean energy solutions designed to support the transition towards more sustainable and efficient maritime transport.