Worldwide, about 80% of freight transport is handled by shipping. Most ships use the fuel heavy oil for this purpose. Its combustion generates about 3% of the global share of CO2 emissions. In addition, there are emissions from the cruise ship sector, a sector that is showing increasing turnover. Although individual technologies for the reduction of emissions from shipping are being investigated at research institutes, there is no institution in the world that maps the entire energy conversion chain of maritime applications to this extent.
The 2020 founded DLR Institute of Maritime Energy Systems estimates and develops innovative solutions for the decarbonization and emission reduction of shipping. In cooperation with industry, these will be put into practice. The following topics are the focus of the institute's strategy:
The institute plans the operation of a large-scale infrastructure to test and try out the new energy systems to be developed in a standardized laboratory environment and under real conditions on a research vessel.