MarRI-UK has agreed an extension to the SPINE I project for a new scope of work for SPINE II which will show how the advances identified in the initial SPINE project could be exploited in a real-life deployment of a zero-emission, de-crewed vessel in the Solent.

The work will look at an existing short sea shipping vessel, that currently operates with a conventional diesel-propelled engine with a crew of four. The mini-project will perform front-end engineering studies to investigate how the vessel could be replaced by an all-electric, de-crewed vessel.

The project will look at the overall system configuration, the shoreside energy facilies, the vessel configuration and general arrangement, as well as the vessel navigation and communication.

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