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Sustainability
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Sustainable Marine Engineering and Efficient Marine Transportation of Energy
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Sustainable Marine Engineering and Efficient Marine Transportation of Energy

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 4051

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Luca Braidotti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, Via A. Valerio 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy
Interests: ship concept design; reduced environmental impact of ships; sustainable logistics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Serena Bertagna

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, Via A. Valerio 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy
Interests: analysis of marine structures; sustainable materials; green shipbuilding and logistics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The shipbuilding and maritime industry is a cornerstone of global trade and energy transportation. However, it faces mounting pressures to minimize its environmental impact in light of both public concern and international or regional regulations. The International Maritime Organisation’s objective of net-zero emissions by 2050 makes it mandatory for shipping companies and shipyards to find a viable path to reduce maritime industry emissions. Meanwhile, new marine energy resources or means of transport are emerging, such as marine renewable energies, hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol, which, along with traditional energy sources, are increasing the demand for their efficient shipborne transport.

This Special Issue addresses critical scientific and technological advancements in sustainable ship design, shipbuilding, navigation, and efficient energy transportation. As global maritime activities contribute significantly to environmental pollution, there is an urgent need for innovative solutions that reduce ecological footprints while enhancing efficiency. Emphasis is placed on the development of new marine propulsion systems and alternative fuels, which are pivotal in reducing emissions and improving fuel efficiency. Additionally, the exploration of marine renewable energy systems offers promising avenues to sustainably power maritime operations. The lifecycle assessment of ships and marine engineering is also crucial to ensure long-term sustainability from construction through decommissioning. By examining the entire lifecycle, we can identify opportunities to reduce environmental impact at every stage. Furthermore, implementing effective regulatory and policy frameworks is essential to enforce sustainable practices and encourage the industry-wide adoption of green technologies.

The goal is to collate cutting-edge research and review articles that showcase sustainable engineering practices, novel technologies, and efficient methodologies for marine and energy transport sectors. This aligns with the journal’s scope of promoting sustainability across various industries.

Suggested themes:

  • Sustainable ship design and shipbuilding;
  • Innovative marine propulsion systems and alternative fuels;
  • Environmental impact mitigation in maritime operations;
  • Marine renewable energy systems;
  • The efficient marine transportation of energy resources;
  • The lifecycle assessment of ships and marine engineering projects;
  • Regulatory and policy frameworks for sustainable maritime practices.

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit original research articles and comprehensive reviews on these and related topics. Contributions that address interdisciplinary approaches, new ship designs or building strategies/materials, and real-world applications are particularly welcome.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions to this significant area of research.

Dr. Luca Braidotti
Dr. Serena Bertagna
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ship design
  • shipbuilding
  • waterborne energy transport
  • alternative fuels
  • marine renewable energy
  • life cycle assessment
  • emission reduction
  • regulatory frameworks

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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30 pages, 3379 KiB  
Article
Greening of Inland and Coastal Ships in Europe by Means of Retrofitting: State of the Art and Scenarios
by Igor Bačkalov, Friederike Dahlke-Wallat, Elimar Frank, Benjamin Friedhoff, Alex Grasman, Justin Jasa, Niels Kreukniet, Martin Quispel and Florin Thalmann
Sustainability 2025, 17(11), 5154; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17115154 - 4 Jun 2025
Viewed by 569
Abstract
This paper analyzes the potential of retrofitting in “greening” of European inland vessels and coastal ships, which are normally not the focus of major international environmental policies aimed at waterborne transport. Therefore, greening of the examined fleets would result, for the most part, [...] Read more.
This paper analyzes the potential of retrofitting in “greening” of European inland vessels and coastal ships, which are normally not the focus of major international environmental policies aimed at waterborne transport. Therefore, greening of the examined fleets would result, for the most part, in additional emission reductions to the environmental targets put forth by the International Maritime Organization. By scoping past and ongoing pilot projects, the most prominent retrofit trends in the greening of inland and coastal ships are identified. Assuming a scenario in which the observed trends are scaled up to the fleet level, the possible emission abatement is estimated (both on the tank-to-wake and well-to-wake bases), as well as the capital and operational costs associated with the retrofit. Therefore, the paper shows what can be achieved in terms of greening if the current trends are followed. The results show that the term “greening” may take a significantly different meaning contingent on the approaches, perspectives, and targets considered. The total costs of a retrofit of a single vessel may be excessively high; however, the costs may significantly vary depending on the vessel power requirements, operational profile, and technology applied. While some trends are worth following (electrification of ferries and small inland passenger ships), others may be too cost-intensive and not satisfactorily efficient in terms of emissions reduction (retrofit of offshore supply vessels with dual-fuel methanol engines). Nevertheless, the assessment of different retrofit technologies strongly depends on the adopted criteria, including but not limited to the total cost of the retrofit of the entire fleet segment, cost of the retrofit of a single vessel, emission abatement achieved by the retrofit of a fleet segment, average emission abatement per retrofitted vessel, and cost of abatement of one ton of greenhouse gases, etc. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Marine Engineering and Efficient Marine Transportation of Energy)
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19 pages, 1817 KiB  
Article
Slow Steaming as a Sustainable Measure for Low-Carbon Maritime Transport
by Nastia Degiuli, Ivana Martić and Carlo Giorgio Grlj
Sustainability 2024, 16(24), 11169; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162411169 - 19 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1306
Abstract
Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is essential across all sectors, including the maritime transport industry. Speed reduction is a key short-term operational measure for lowering GHG emissions from ships, and its implementation has already begun. While speed reduction offers significant benefits, particularly in [...] Read more.
Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is essential across all sectors, including the maritime transport industry. Speed reduction is a key short-term operational measure for lowering GHG emissions from ships, and its implementation has already begun. While speed reduction offers significant benefits, particularly in terms of GHG emissions reduction potential, there are concerns about its application, including increased voyage times, an increase in the number of ships required, and the fact that ships may operate in conditions quite different from those for which they were designed and optimized. This study investigates the impact of speed reduction on ship performance in calm water, using a post-Panamax container ship as an example. Numerical simulations of resistance, open-water, and self-propulsion tests were conducted for a full-scale ship and propeller, and the results were validated against extrapolated towing tank data. Hydrodynamic characteristics, fuel consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions at various speeds were then estimated. The results indicated that when constant transport work was maintained, yearly CO2 emissions decreased by −16.89% with a 10% speed reduction, −21.97% with a 20% speed reduction, and −25.74% with a 30% speed reduction. This study demonstrates that the classical cubic law for fuel oil consumption and speed dependence is not valid, as the speed exponent is lower than 3. The potential benefits and drawbacks of implementing slow steaming are discussed. Finally, this research contributes to the existing literature by evaluating the CO2 emissions reduction potential of slow steaming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Marine Engineering and Efficient Marine Transportation of Energy)
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Review

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17 pages, 14499 KiB  
Review
Investigating Fuel Reduction Methods Through Propeller Optimization on Coastal Ro-Ro Liner Vessels
by Alen Jugović, Tomislav Bukša, Juraj Bukša and Ines Kolanović
Sustainability 2024, 16(21), 9543; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16219543 - 1 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1601
Abstract
In light of efforts to reduce GHG emissions, liner ship operators in coastal navigation are undertaking numerous activities to contribute to the reduction of fossil fuel consumption during the transitional period toward environmentally friendly propulsion systems without compromising their regular operations. Regular ship [...] Read more.
In light of efforts to reduce GHG emissions, liner ship operators in coastal navigation are undertaking numerous activities to contribute to the reduction of fossil fuel consumption during the transitional period toward environmentally friendly propulsion systems without compromising their regular operations. Regular ship overhauls, which include removing fouling from the underwater part of the hull and optimizing propellers, also contribute to this goal and are the focus of this research. The ship propeller, as a key component of the propulsion system, plays a significant role in ensuring reliable, safe, and economical navigation. Proper selection and regular maintenance of the propeller are essential for achieving optimal performance. This paper presents the optimization of a fixed-pitch propeller according to the ISO 484/2 standard to Class I using Metrascan 3D technology. This technology enables a detailed analysis of the propeller geometry, identification of irregularities, correction, and adjustment to achieve better hydrodynamic characteristics. The pitch corrections of the propeller resulted in improved overall vessel performance and fuel consumption, as demonstrated by comparing the consumption before and after the optimization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Marine Engineering and Efficient Marine Transportation of Energy)
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