Integrating a Digital Twin Concept in the Zero Emission Sea Transporter (ZEST) Project for Sustainable Maritime Transport using Stonefish Simulator

TL;DR

This paper presents the ZEST project, which integrates a digital twin concept into a simulator to develop a zero-emission maritime vessel for sustainable short sea shipping, addressing emissions from smaller vessels often overlooked.

Contribution

It introduces a novel digital twin approach within a maritime simulator to design and optimize zero-emission vessels for short sea routes, filling a gap in decarbonization efforts.

Findings

Successful integration of digital twin in maritime simulator

Design insights for zero-emission short sea vessels

Potential reduction in maritime emissions from small vessels

Abstract

In response to stringent emission reduction targets imposed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the European Green Deal's Fit for 55 legislation package, the maritime industry has shifted its focus towards decarbonization. While significant attention has been placed on vessels exceeding 5,000 gross tons (GT), emissions from coastal and short sea shipping, amounting to approximately 13% of global shipping transportation and 15% within the European Union (EU), have not received adequate consideration. This abstract introduces the Zero Emission Sea Transporter (ZEST) project, designed to address this issue by developing a zero-emissions multi-purpose catamaran for short sea route