2. EU funded initiatives for energy transition

There are a number of Horizon 2020, and to come Horizon Europe, projects of relevance. Whilst not specific to fishing or aquaculture, there is an overview of Waterborne Transport Projects under Horizon 2020, the results from which might be transferable. Another overview looked at projects developing the use of renewables to power the clean future of inland shipping.

The Horizon 2020 supported European Research and Innovation Platform for Waterborne Industries (WATERBORNE) was set up as an industry-oriented Technology Platform to establish a continuous dialogue between all waterborne stakeholders, including with EU Institutions and Member States. It acts as a hub for all EU-funded research projects that contribute to achieving WATERBORNE’s goals, including on Energy Efficiency and Zero Emissions, addressing several different possible fuel types³. There are no projects specific to fishing or aquaculture, but again the knowledge and innovations arising from the many projects may be transferable.

The Clean Hydrogen Partnership is another initiative whose main objective is to contribute to the EU Green Deal and Hydrogen Strategy through optimised funding of R&I activities. Some of their projects are concerned with shipping, including developing an open standard for heavy-duty fuel-cell modules; development and validation of a 2 MW fuel cell liquid hydrogen ship; and defining a pre-standardization plan for hydrogen-based fuels passenger ships. For example, the project HyShip aims to design and construct a new ro-ro demonstration vessel running on liquid green hydrogen, as well as the establishment of a viable supply chain and bunkering platform.

The Laurelin project⁴ aims to obtain methanol as a renewable fuel via advanced synthesis technologies, as well as to foster breakthrough innovation in advanced biofuels and alternative renewable fuels. Likewise, the project HyMethShip (Hydrogen-Methanol Ship Propulsion System Using On-board Pre-combustion Carbon Capture) developed an approach to ship propulsion that could be based entirely on renewable energy with a solution to the challenges of on-board hydrogen storage. It aimed to innovatively combine methanol steam reforming and hydrogen separation in a membrane reactor with a CO2 capture system and a hydrogen-fuelled combustion engine in one integrated system.

Other, complementary projects include CLean INland Shipping (CLINSH)⁵, which aimed at retrofitting inland waters vessels, identifying potential financial mechanisms and technological solutions, plus putting into place a system to stimulate vessels owners to participate. Again, lessons learned from this project could be transferable to fishing and aquaculture.

An upcoming call for proposals under Horizon Europe will address fishing vessels. Specifically, in the Mission Ocean and Waters Work Programme 2023⁶, it is planned to support research that will identify a set of suitable innovative and sustainable solutions, technologies, practices and processes to be tested, validated and demonstrated in real conditions to reduce emissions and fuel consumption of small-scale fishing vessels (less than 12 m in length).

There are a number of projects for energy transition supported by the predecessor EMFF and now EMFAF programmes.

One activity within the WestMed Initiative, involving five EU countries and five African Neighbouring countries in the Western Mediterranean, is for green shipping. Via a technical group, it implements innovative projects to support a greener and fully sustainable maritime transport in the Mediterranean. One of its pilot actions is for the adaptation of commercial vessels, which could be expanded to the fishing fleet.

The fishing community of El Palmar in the Albufera lagoon in Valencia, Spain, worried about the environmental state of their fishing areas, wanted to investigate the possibility of moving from diesel engines to engines running on electricity. This would reduce not only direct pollution from fuel leaks, but also carbon dioxide emissions and noise levels around the lagoon. Analysis predicted that if the prototype vessel was replicated for all 1 000 boats in the lagoon, which operate on average 300 days per year with up to four trips per day, then there would be a yearly reduction of some 1 074 tons of CO2 emissions. The overall noise pollution would also be considerably reduced.

Another example involves support and coaching, provided via the BlueInvest programme, to the h2boat start-up company for the development of hydrogen technology that can be installed on smaller vessels, sailing or motorboats. Whilst their current focus is on yachts, they are planning to do a review, with the University of Genova, to assess the number, power, use profile etc, of the EU’s fishing fleet to evaluate the possibility of introducing the technology in this sector.