Published in Ocean Engineering, the study assesses whether a high-speed passenger vessel can be retrofitted with zero-emission power systems. The research was led by NTNU and supported by the Research Council of Norway through ZEVS, SFI AutoShip, HyValue as well as the EU-funded STEESMAT project.
Advanced framework for power management
“In this study, we use a novel optimisation model for onboard energy management that captures the real operational constraints of fuel cell–battery hybrid systems,” says Roger Skjetne, professor at NTNU. “This model will be further developed and applied within STEESMAT, where it supports the design and control of advanced DC-based hybrid power architectures.”
The model, developed at NTNU, determines optimal energy scheduling and power allocation between a fuel cell and a battery energy storage system. The optimisation framework emulates the functionality of an onboard Energy Management System, providing a realistic representation of hybrid system behaviour.
Tackling maritime passenger transport
High-speed passenger vessels are particularly challenging to electrify due to high propulsion demand and extreme sensitivity to added weight. The study evaluates whether such vessels can transition to zero-emission power systems under realistic operational conditions.
Using the the case of Norwegian high-speed passenger vessel MS Elsa Laula Renberg, the researchers evaluated three configurations: a battery-only retrofit, a non-plugin fuel cell–battery hybrid, and a plugin hybrid with shore charging.
Of these, the plug-in hybrid alternative resulted in the lightest solution and reduced hydrogen consumption compared to the non-plugin hybrid alternative, demonstrating a feasible pathway towards zero-emission passenger transport at sea. A further study showed that a battery-only alternative, using future solid-state batteries with significantly higher energy capacity per unit weight, was feasible when this becomes available for maritime applications.
Strengthening STEESMAT’s technical foundation
“This publication strengthens STEESMAT’s scientific foundation and supports our ambition to develop scalable, efficient and safe DC power systems for future zero-emission vessels,” says Erlend Bertheussen, Project Manager at Maritime CleanTech and coordinator for STEESMAT.
“The fuel cell–battery hybrid setup in this study resembles the power system architecture in STEESMAT. While our project focuses mainly on large commercial ships, high-speed passenger vessels represent a promising early market for solid-state transformers, where weight savings are crucial,” he adds.
Reference
Samieh Najjaran, Ingrid Sundvor, Rebecca Jayne Thorne, Roger Skjetne (2026). Feasibility assessment of zero-emission high-speed passenger vessels using optimal energy scheduling and power allocation. Ocean Engineering, Volume 351, Part 2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2026.124430.