Zero waste Heat vessel towards relevant ENergy savings also thanks to IT technologies

2026-07-22

ZHENIT overall objective is to promote Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) as key and “ready-to-implement” solutions to achieve 2030 IMO/EU targets for shipping sector decarbonization. ZHENIT goal is to fully untap “on-board WH potential” developing and validating WHR solutions at different temperature levels towards the exploitation of WH for different on-board services (cooling, power, desalination) thus able to valorise heat in different vessel processes like: WH-to-Trigeneration via an innovative recuperated ORC integrated with an heat pumpt with ejector (T>100°C – NTUA); WH-to-Cooling and Desalination via an adsorption system (70<T<100°C – SORPTION/ITAE); WH-to-Mechanical Work (e.g. for fuel compression) via an isobaric expansion (IE) engine (T<100°C – TECNALIA/ENT). A validation campaign (TRL5) will showcase how WH-to-X if properly integrated with Digital Solutions (energy monitoring and optimized management – SIGLA, KYMA) and wind hybrid propulsion (wingsail by BOUND4BLUE) can bring to a 25% reduction of vessel energy consumption. Validation results will drive a replication roadmap (at regulatory and economic level) towards 2027-2030 marketability of ZHENIT solutions also thanks to realization of replication feasibility studies via modelling tools and approaches already exploited for terrestrial application. The ambitious goal is to integrate all WH-to-X solutions towards a zero WH vessel. The project is driven by a consortium of 13 partners from 6 countries composed by innovative SMEs and excellent R&D Centres (expert in both WHR systems and sustainable shipping) and coordinated by an innovation oriented engineering company (RINA-C), one of the most important EU naval classification body with a deep expertise in sustainable shipping and with a track record of multi-disciplinary EU R&D project Management. The project will be promoted at EU level at policy/Regulation making level also interacting with key platforms like ZEWT, IMO... thanks to RINA-S support too.

Italy

2025-12-01