The ambitious CleanH2shipping project unites ports, research organisations, technology providers and a ship operator, with the aim of developing and implementing a viable hydrogen ecosystem and showcasing the potential of hydrogen fuel-cell-powered inland and short sea shipping. Our vision extends beyond mere demonstration; we aspire to catalyse widespread adoption across Europe and beyond. Unlike land-based hydrogen applications for vehicles, there are no international regulations for safe use of hydrogen at sea, rivers or in ports. The volume required to power marine vessels is of an entirely different magnitude compared to road transport vehicles, and any potential accident could have far-reaching consequences. This lack of regulations is one of the main barriers to implementing hydrogen at scale, as shipbuilders, ports, shipowners, and logistics providers require clarity before committing to a new technology. Another major barrier are high investment costs for the production and port infrastructure and high operating costs of hydrogen-powered vessels. To realise the vision of hydrogen-powered shipping, CleanH2Shipping will engage policy makers and authorities to advocate for harmonised regulations, demonstrate the complete hydrogen supply chain and create a blueprint for replication in other European ports and ships. Innovative swappable hydrogen fuel tank containers, "H2Tank-Tainers," will be used, hence no investment in port infrastructure is required. Our demonstration with the 610 TEU inland container ship Letitia, featuring a 1.2MW fuel-cell main drive, will showcase sustainable shipping. Further standardisation, efficiency enhancements, scaling and AI-based container logistics will further decrease CAPEX and OPEX costs to build an H2 ecosystem. With our goal to lay the foundation of a H2 ecosystem in and around the European ports, this project can make a significant contribution to achieve the “Fit for 55” goals and significantly reduce CO2 emissions

Inland Waterborne Transport (IWT) advantages as low-energy and low CO2 emitting transport mode are not fully exploited today due to gaps in the logistics system. Inland container vessels pay 6-8 calls at seaport terminals with long waiting times. More time is lost by sub-optimal navigation on rivers and waiting at bridges and locks. In addition, low load factors of containers and vessels impact the logistics systems with unnecessary high numbers of containers being transported and trips being made. NOVIMOVE strategy is to “condense” the logistics system by improving container load factors and by reducing waiting times in seaports, by improved river voyage planning and execution, and by facilitating smooth passages through bridges and locks. NOVIMOVE’s innovations are: (1) cargo reconstruction to raise container load factors, (2) mobile terminals feeding inland barges, (3) smart river navigation by merging satellite (Galileo) and real time river water depths data, (4) smooth passage through bridges/locks by dynamic scheduling system for better corridor management along the TEN-T Rhine-Alpine (R-A) route, (5) concepts for innovative vessels that can adapt to low water condition while maintaining a full payload, and (6) close cooperation with logistic stakeholders, ports and water authorities along the R-A route: Antwerp, Rotterdam, Duisburg, Basel. NOVIMOVE technology developments will be demonstrated by virtual simulation, scaled model tests and full-scale demonstrations. NOVIMOVE innovations will impact the quantity of freight moved by IWT along the R-A corridor by 30% with respect to 2010 baseline data. The NOVIMOVE 21-members consortium combines logistics operators, ports, system-developers and research organisations from 4 EU member states and two associate countries. The work plan contains 4 technical Work Packages. The project duration is four years; the requested funding is 8,9 MIO.

MultiRELOAD focusses on the specific role and challenges of inland ports as multimodal freight nodes in reaching Europe’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target of at least 55 % by 2030, thereby shifting a substantial part of the 75% of inland freight carried today by road in the EU to inland waterways and rail, and by increasing operational efficiency, safety and reliability of existing infrastructures through digitalization. Inland Ports are key for multimodal transport chains, both continental and maritime transport. Without efficient nodes in the hinterland multimodal transport is not possible. However, the constraints and barriers are much higher in inland ports (space, urbanisation, demand, investments) than in seaports. MultiRELOAD enhances the collaboration between different freight nodes in Europe to jointly test innovations and create favorable market conditions for multimodal freight transport solutions. MultiRELOAD will demonstrate solutions in three Innovation Areas with specific aims by 2025 – mirroring measures of the EU’s Smart Mobility Strategy: A) Smart multimodal logistics: facilitate a shift from road to rail & IWT of 5%; B) Digital & Automated Multimodal Nodes and Corridors: increase operational efficiency by 20 % raise of handling capacity; C) Innovative business models: leading to an average cost reduction of freight transport by 10%. MultiRELOAD involves highly ambitious logistics hubs, including the multimodal node duisport (DE), Duisburg's highly ambitious port and the world’s largest and most advanced trimodal inland hub terminal, and the trimodal nodes Ports of Vienna (AT) and Basel (CH). The project is backed up by additional funding & financing for better integration of the freight transport nodes into overall logistic chains of about 450 Mio. EUR. MultiRELOAD involves a total of 22 partners comprising of highly innovative technology, logistics and service providers, leading European research institutions and well-connected networks.

NOVIMAR aims to adjust inland/short-sea shipping such that it can make optimal use of the waterborne system of waterways, vessels and ports/terminals. To achieve this NOVIMAR introduces the waterborne version of 'platooning', the Vessel Train. This is in essence a number of unmanned Follower Ships with own sailing/manoeuvring capabilities being temporarily led by a manned Leader Ship. Vessels will be able to join and leave such trains at places adjacent to their points of origin and destination at seaside or inland. Envisaged main benefits and impacts are: Reduction of crew costs result in up to 47% total cost reduction for IWT and up to 88% crew cost reduction for short sea transport, Enhanced Logistic flexibility, 10-15 % Less energy use/emissions, Solutions for overcoming barriers between transport modes and High potential for reducing road congestion and associated costs. Lower costs increases the attractiveness of small vessels at sea and inland, hereby increasing access to urban areas located at small waterways (CEMT I/II), with no need for sizeable investments in infrastructures. SME’s benefits include enhanced competitiveness and improved working conditions for vessel owners/operators, and market opportunities for equipment suppliers. NOVIMAR technology developments include measuring, control and communication systems, and navigation aids for IWT use. NOVIMAR work structure contains 5 technical Work Packages dedicated to the Transport system, Impact assessment, Navigation, Cargo systems and vessels, and Safety and human skills issues. The consortium contains 22 partners: logistic operators, industry, public bodies and research organisations from 7 EU and 2 associated countries. The project duration is 48 months, required funding is €7,9 million.

SEAMLESS aims at developing and adapting missing building blocks and enablers into a fully automated, economically viable, cost-effective, and resilient waterborne freight feeder loop service for Short Sea Shipping (SSS) and/or Inland Waterways Transport (IWT). Autonomous systems will be integrated to ensure safe, resilient, efficient, and environmentally friendly operation to shift road freight movements to hinterland waterways, while enhancing the performance of the TEN-T network. The service will be delivered 24/7 by a fleet of autonomous cargo shuttles, with humans-in-the-loop located in Remote Operation Centres (ROCs), which efficiently cooperate with automated and autonomous shore-side infrastructure and safely interact with conventional systems. The services will rely on a redesigned logistics system enabling seamless freight flows by minimising delays at intermodal nodes. A digital bird’s eye view of the supply chain allows the exploitation of real-time information for planning optimisation and reconfiguration to support resilient logistics, incl. digitalised administrative procedures. The SEAMLESS building blocks will be verified and validated by conducting full-scale demonstrations in selected real-world scenarios. Transferability will be fully demonstrated in selected use cases that cover a wide range of transport applications and geographical regions throughout Europe. Based on a structured methodological framework evaluating sustainability criteria, they will act as guidance for the replication of the project results beyond the project scope and timespan. Novel business models will be thus developed and provide a framework for implementing the SEAMLESS service to minimise investment risk for first movers. Regulatory gaps and challenges related to autonomous vessel operation (e.g. social aspects) will be identified, and recommendations for policy makers to allow the smooth and safe deployment of fully automated services will be provided.