Decarbonization of the Maritime Transportation Systems: Recent Progress, Challenges, and Prospects

Maritime transportation decarbonization plays a pivotal role in eliminating carbon emissions from the transportation sector, one of the significant contributors to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The maritime transportation industry, traditionally reliant on fossil fuels, is experiencing a rapid transformation by adopting alternative fuels and renewable energy sources to drive sustainable practices in the shipping sector. This paper aims to provide insight into emerging technologies to achieve decarbonization, such as alternative fuels, alternative energy sources (onshore power supply, wind energy, solar energy, fuel cell), and operational approaches (speed optimization, voyage optimization). Moreover, we present these technologies' benefits and challenges, recent progress, and future directions.