On the Improvements in Maritime Decarbonization by the Natural Gas-Electric Power System of a Ferry Operating in the Mediterranean Sea.

The article proposes various methodologies aiming at reducing fuel consumption and emissions of a ro-ro pax ferry currently in service on the Genoa-Palermo route. Maintaining the actual 24-hour service total time (departure, navigation, maneuver, and stopover in the arrival port), a navigation speed reduction is proposed, compensated by the harbor stopover time reduction. The ship's original dieselmechanical propulsion is replaced (through simulation) by a natural gas-electric system, which also produces on-board electricity, with the possibility of equipping the main thermal engines with specific energy recovery devices. This ensures further fuel consumption and pollutants reduction. In addition to fossil natural gas, biological and synthetic origins are also considered. The outcomes of the proposed solutions are commented from decarbonisation and economical perspectives.