Hydrogen-Powered Passenger Ship Arrives in the Adriatic ZEAS Project – A Key Step in Maritime Sector Development

Rijeka, February 2024 – Lürssen Design Center Kvarner from Rijeka, along with 14 partners from Austria, Greece, Croatia, Norway, Germany, Slovenia, and Spain, will design and build a hydrogen-powered passenger ship over the next four years to sail the Adriatic Sea. The project’s total value is €18.9 million, of which €13.5 million is co-financed by the European Union’s Horizon Europe program.

The main goal of the ZEAS (Zero Emission Adriatic Ship) project is to construct a hydrogen-powered passenger vessel that demonstrates a sustainable, climate-neutral fuel system. The project will also implement an onshore hydrogen fueling station and develop a digital twin for the ship’s propulsion system, facilitating the operation and maintenance of this technologically complex vessel.

Experts from seven EU countries will work on emission assessments, environmental impact studies, and risk and safety evaluations to establish best environmental practices for hydrogen-powered ships and understand their ecological impact. Advanced digital technologies will be developed, including a digital twin for monitoring, control, and simulation, as well as an augmented reality-enhanced predictive maintenance solution.

Lürssen Design Center Kvarner will lead the preparation of the project documentation, supported by experts in Rijeka.

“We are incredibly proud to participate in the Zero Emission Adriatic Ship (ZEAS) project, which represents a major step toward implementing green technologies and alternative fuels in shipbuilding across the Adriatic,” said Teuta Duletić, Director of Lürssen Design Center Kvarner. “Our team, together with international partners and Croatia’s largest shipping company Jadrolinija, will have the opportunity over the next four years to design, build, and launch one of the first hydrogen-powered passenger vessels in the Mediterranean. This will support the green transition of the maritime sector and, importantly, help us develop specialized expertise, skills, and knowledge in designing and building the smart ships of the future.”

Alongside Lürssen Design Center Kvarner, Croatian partners include Jadrolinija, the University of Rijeka – Faculty of Maritime Studies, Gitone Kvarner, Maritime Center of Excellence, Scan Projekt, and the Croatian Hydrogen Association, alongside DNV Hellas Single Member from Greece, HyCenta Research from Austria, Tecno Ambiente from Spain, Technische Universität Chemnitz from Germany, ZenLab from Slovenia, and TECO 2030 ASA from Norway, with TECO 2030 AS and TECO 2030 Innovation Center as associated partners.

This project is a key development in the maritime sector, as hydrogen fuel significantly reduces harmful emissions compared to the diesel engines still predominant in shipping, which release pollutants into the environment.

Developing and building a hydrogen-powered passenger ship will accelerate the transition to sustainable, climate-neutral fuels in waterborne transport through the full operational demonstration of a hydrogen fuel cell system. The vessel will be specifically designed for the Adriatic Sea, renowned for its pristine environment and unique marine ecosystem.

Most of the funding for this project is provided by the EU through the Horizon Europe program, which finances research, innovation, and digital transformation projects. ZEAS is one of three maritime industry projects awarded under a €34 million research and innovation call.