Giacomo Persico, lecturer at the Department of Energy of Politecnico di Milano, and his team are participating in the MARPOWER project, funded by the European Commission with almost EUR 8 million under the Horizon Europe programme.

The project aims to develop an innovative energy conversion system based on gas turbines for the propulsion and cogeneration of electricity and heat on board ships, using “carbon-neutral” fuels, including hydrogen and ammonia.

The Department of Energy team will play a crucial role in the project, contributing to the aero-thermal design of the turbomachinery used in the system, with a particular focus on innovative turbo-expanders capable of ensuring optimal performance and operability at high temperatures for all the different fuels considered in the study. This will be achieved thanks to an innovative shape optimisation technique developed specifically for the project.

The MARPOWER project brings together 11 European partners specialising in turbomachinery, innovative fuels, energy conversion systems, gas turbines and magnetic bearings, including universities and companies from 6 countries, coordinated by LUT University. The common goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the maritime sector, which today account for around 3% of global_CO2 emissions, and to combat marine pollution.

One of the most innovative aspects of the project will be the development of a Digital Twin, a virtual model that will make it possible to simulate and analyse the energy efficiency and performance of the conversion system on board ships during operations both in port and at sea. Prototypes of the system’s most critical components, including the combustion chamber and high-pressure shaft, will also be built to optimise their design and ensure optimal integration on board ships.

The 48-month project officially kicked off in September with a kick-off meeting at Finland’s LUT University in Lappeenranta.

_{Funded by the European Union under grant agreement No 101138341}