The MARPOWER project brings together leading maritime organisations committed to shaping a more sustainable, innovative, and energy-efficient shipping sector. Among them is RINA, a company with a long-standing reputation in the marine industry and a forward-looking approach to innovation and decarbonisation. Through the contributions of its two specialised business units (RINA Services and RINA Consulting) RINA is playing a key role in the development, integration, and certification of the MARPOWER solution.
Over 160 years of maritime expertise
Founded in 1861, RINA S.p.A. is one of the oldest and most respected classification societies in the world and a founding member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). Headquartered in Genoa, Italy, RINA has a truly global reach, with more than 200 offices in 70 countries. Today, marine-related services account for approximately 27% of the company’s operating revenues. It operates on behalf of 122 flag authorities, and it is one of the top-ranking marine classification societies in the world.
RINA’s fleet has grown at a pace of over 15% per year in the last three years, a result of its extensive work in the classification of new and existing vessels. Alongside statutory certification, the company offers tailored advisory services to shipowners and shipyards, with a strong focus on complex areas relating to sustainability, environmental regulations and digital technologies.
RINA has established itself as a proactive player in the decarbonisation of shipping, recognising it as a key driver for the years to come. With research and innovation at the core of its development, RINA is among the most active industrial players in European research and innovation programs, participating in numerous projects like NH3CRAFT, FLEETFOR55, LH2CRAFT or ENGIMMONIA, and using knowledge-building to explore future opportunities and provide high-level services across the industry.
A dual-unit contribution to MARPOWER
RINA’s involvement in MARPOWER is shared between its two business units, RINA Services and RINA Consulting, each bringing complementary expertise to ensure the successful development and integration of the innovative MARPOWER Energy Conversion System (MECS).
RINA Services: ensuring regulatory compliance and safety
RINA Services provides critical input on the regulatory and certification aspects of the MARPOWER solution. The team is conducting a comprehensive review of the international regulatory framework, identifying current and forthcoming requirements related to emissions reduction, and highlighting potential gaps and barriers to the MECS deployment. This includes anticipating future emission reduction strategies, ensuring the solution not only complies with existing rules but is also aligned with evolving regulatory expectations.
The company is also contributing to the testing and certification process, helping ensure that the MARPOWER technology meets the necessary statutory and classification requirements. Its experts are reviewing the system’s basic design against applicable marine safety codes to verify that the MECS is safe, reliable, and ready for operational deployment. In addition, an Approval in Principle will be considered for novel elements within the system, supported by a Technology Qualification Process and risk assessment to address components not yet fully covered by current standards.
As the leader of policy feedback activities, RINA Services is also engaged in transferring project findings to relevant regulatory bodies at both the European Union and International Maritime Organization (IMO) levels. The company will coordinate with the European Commission’s communication team to support dissemination through Horizon Europe channels, helping to shape the future policy and regulatory landscape for decarbonised shipping technologies.
RINA Consulting: assessing sustainability and market readiness
RINA Consulting plays a central role in MARPOWER by contributing to key technical, safety and strategic activities that support the development and future deployment of the MECS system.
Within the Work Package Requirements, system design and component design (WP1), RINA Consulting is responsible for defining the life cycle requirements needed to perform Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) of the MECS. This involves identifying and collecting data to assess both environmental and economic performance throughout the system’s entire operational life, from procurement to decommissioning. These insights support design decisions that improve long-term sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
As part of the Work Package Assessment (WP4), RINA Consulting leads the development of Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) strategies by applying HAZOP (Hazard and Operability Study) and HAZID (Hazard Identification) methodologies. These are used to identify and evaluate risks associated with MECS deployment, particularly those related to the use of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), hydrogen and ammonia onboard. The outcomes help define mitigation strategies and maintenance protocols that ensure system reliability and compliance with international standards such as ATEX (“ATmosphères Explosives”, French for “Explosive Atmospheres”).
Finally, under the Work Package Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation (WP5), RINA Consulting is in charge of the exploitation strategy and deployment roadmap. This includes preparing both individual and joint exploitation plans covering market analysis, IPR management and business models. The goal is to bring the MECS to market maturity (TRL 9, the highest technology readiness level), enabling its adoption across both newbuild and retrofit vessels and supporting the decarbonisation objectives of the maritime sector.
The RINA team behind MARPOWER
The success of RINA’s contribution to MARPOWER is made possible by a team of experienced professionals from both business units, whose diverse expertise spans naval architecture, sustainability, energy systems, and risk management.
RINA Services
- Alessandro Maccari: Director of Marine Research and Development with extensive experience in ship design and innovation. Adviser to the Italian Flag Administration at the IMO since 1994, actively contributing to international regulations on ship safety and environmental protection.
- Nikoletta Trivyza: Member of RINA’s Marine R&D department, working on EU projects related to shipping decarbonisation and the preparation of funding proposals for alternative fuels and innovative technologies.
- Giorgia Abbate: Naval architect and marine engineer at RINA’s R&D team. Former roles at Grandi Navi Veloci and Fincantieri, focusing on energy efficiency and alternative fuels. Currently involved in MARPOWER ship decarbonisation activities.
RINA Consulting
- Fiorella Valenti: Junior Project Manager in the Power Generation and Hydrogen Innovation unit at RINA Consulting. Works on energy transition strategies within MARPOWER.
- Laura Rubbuano: Risk, Safety & Reliability Engineer at RINA Consulting. Specializes in chemical risk assessment, CFD studies, and regulatory compliance, contributing to HSE methodologies for the project.
- Roberta Montesano: Senior Carbon Reduction Engineer at RINA Consulting. ISO 50001 auditor and GHG emissions expert supporting the project with LCA, energy audits, and decarbonisation strategies across various industrial sectors.
- Marco Ariagno: Project Manager at the Energy Innovation Strategic Centre. Leads MARPOWER’s market and business model analysis and supports commercial readiness strategies for MECS.
With its strong foundation in classification and regulation, and a growing commitment to innovation and sustainability, RINA’s contribution to MARPOWER is vital to ensuring that the MECS technology is safe, certified, and scalable. Their work supports not only compliance and technical excellence, but also a long-term vision for clean, efficient, and future-proof maritime energy systems.