- A European initiative is developing a new gas-turbine based energy conversion system capable of operating on multiple sustainable fuels, aiming to cut emissions from ships and support the maritime sector’s transition to cleaner technologies.
- In its first year, the project has delivered important progress in detailed component design, turbomachinery, heat recovery, digital twin development, and sustainability assessments.
The European Union (EU)-funded MARPOWER project (Efficient zero-emissions gas turbine POWER system for MARitime transport) is addressing one of the most pressing challenges in the fight against climate change: the decarbonization of maritime transport. Shipping is responsible for almost 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, a figure expected to rise in the coming years, making it essential to deploy cleaner, scalable, and economically viable solutions that meet tightening international climate regulations.
To respond to this need, the MARPOWER project is developing a next-generation gas-turbine based energy conversion system for both electricity generation and cogeneration on board ships. The system is designed for operation with hydrogen and other net-zero fuel alternatives like ammonia, green methane or green methanol, while combining advanced turbomachinery and energy recovery technologies. With this approach, the project aims to significantly reduce emissions while ensuring that the maritime sector remains competitive and reliable during its transition to cleaner energy.
Breakthrough progress in energy systems for cleaner shipping
Through close collaboration among all eleven partners, the MARPOWER consortium has achieved strong progress in its first year. The focus has been on moving the system from conceptual design to detailed technical definition, preparing key components for future prototyping and validation.
- Core power system and turbomachinery design
The consortium has advanced the detailed design of the system’s electrical generator, including geometry, thermal behaviour, and loss estimations, to ensure reliable performance under demanding marine conditions. Building on this, the first high-pressure (HP) shaft has been fully designed - incorporating active magnetic bearings (AMBs) that allow high-speed rotors to run with minimal wear and reduced energy losses.
In parallel, conceptual and three-dimensional (3D) designs of compressors and turbines have been completed. An innovative internal cooling system for high-pressure turbine blades has been designed to withstand turbine inlet temperatures up to 1200 °C. Combustion chamber prototypes are under preparation, supported by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and upgraded experimental facilities for hydrogen testing. These results provide a strong foundation for future assembly and experimental validation.
Heat recovery innovation
A novel recuperator system has been designed, featuring a new heat surface geometry and automated manufacturing approaches. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and CFD simulations confirm its robustness under extreme gradients and ship motions. Work has also begun on a complementary Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) boiler to maximise overall system efficiency.
Digital twin development
A comprehensive digital twin platform has been launched to model and validate the full energy conversion system. Combining component models, real-world data, and virtual operating environments, the twin enables predictive performance analysis and reduces risks and costs ahead of prototyping.
Sustainable fuels and safety
Comparative evaluations of alternative fuels, including hydrogen, methanol, and ammonia, have been conducted, covering techno-economic potential as well as health, safety, and environmental (HSE) considerations. The studies address flammability, toxicity, handling risks, and regulatory aspects, ensuring that the MARPOWER system can flexibly operate with different fuels under safe and compliant conditions.
Regulatory readiness and sustainability assessment
From the outset, the consortium has developed technical requirements, safety guidelines, and regulatory mapping to ensure alignment with maritime certification pathways. Preliminary Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) frameworks have also been established to evaluate the environmental and economic performance of the MARPOWER system.
Exploitation planning
Key Exploitable Results (KERs) have been identified, and exploitation strategies are being developed to pave the way for market uptake of MARPOWER technologies in the coming years.
Laying the groundwork for a climate-neutral maritime sector
The progress achieved during this first year shows that advanced turbomachinery, new energy recovery technologies, and the use of sustainable fuels can be combined to support the development of next-generation clean power systems for shipping", said Professor Jussi Sopanen, Coordinator of the MARPOWER project from LUT University. "This strengthens our confidence that the project is on track to deliver practical pathways to help the maritime sector cut emissions while maintaining efficiency and reliability".
Maritime transport is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise because of its reliance on heavy fuels, long asset lifespans, and high energy demands. With stricter emission rules from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the EU entering into force, shipowners urgently need solutions that balance technical performance, regulatory compliance, and economic viability. The MARPOWER project addresses this challenge by advancing a flexible, fuel-ready energy system that can be integrated into ship operations while supporting the sector’s transition toward carbon-neutral and zero-emission technologies.
Looking ahead
While the first year has delivered strong progress, the next phases of the MARPOWER project will focus on demanding technical tasks, particularly integrating the different component designs into a coherent gas turbine system, alongside ensuring alignment with regulatory, safety, and operational requirements.
Key areas include validating rotor dynamics and active magnetic bearings under real ship-motion conditions, ensuring the durability of turbine cooling systems and recuperators under extreme temperatures, and completing experimental studies on safe and efficient combustion with alternative fuels. At the system level, consolidating partner contributions into a unified digital twin and aligning safety and regulatory requirements across multiple fuel types will require close coordination.
With these foundations in place, the MARPOWER project is preparing to enter a decisive phase focused on prototype manufacturing, experimental validation, and further refinement of its designs. The results achieved in the first year confirm the feasibility of combining advanced turbomachinery, sustainable fuel use, digital tools, and regulatory alignment to move toward efficient, reliable, and low-emission marine energy systems.
The MARPOWER project brings together eleven partners combining advanced research, industrial expertise, and shipbuilding know-how. The consortium includes LUT University, Aurelia Technologies, Alfa Laval, Politecnico di Milano, Rina Consulting, Rina Services, University of Vigo, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Zabala Innovation. Together they cover a wide range of fields, including turbomachinery, alternative fuels and combustion, energy conversion systems, gas turbines, bearing systems, heat recovery, digital modelling, ship design, regulatory and sustainability assessments, as well as communication and exploitation.
