Toward Net-Zero Shipping: Systems Integration, Waste Heat Utilization, and Energy-Saving Technologies in Maritime Operations

The maritime transport sector is one of the most energy-intensive and difficult industries to decarbonize. Despite significant improvements in propulsion systems, onboard energy management, and port operations, the sector continues to rely heavily on fossil fuels, producing substantial greenhouse gas emissions. A large proportion of the energy consumed in maritime operations is lost as low- to medium-grade waste heat, while hydrodynamic inefficiencies and suboptimal vessel performance further exacerbate energy losses. Recent advancements in waste heat recovery and energy conversion, such as organic Rankine and Kalina cycles, thermoelectric modules, and hybrid fuel-cell systems, offer new opportunities to capture and repurpose thermal energy that would otherwise be wasted. At the same time, energy-saving technologies (ESTs) including advanced hull coatings, resistance reduction strategies, and propulsion design innovations are providing measurable gains in efficiency that require systematic validation. Yet, comprehensive frameworks are still lacking for optimizing the integration of these technologies, particularly under evolving regulatory contexts such as the IMO Carbon Intensity Indicator, the EU Emissions Trading System, and FuelEU Maritime. These developments point toward the urgent need to deepen research in process systems engineering and energy network integration to achieve fully optimized, resilient, and decarbonized maritime operations.This Research Topic aims to accelerate the development of integrated maritime energy systems and performance optimization strategies that support the transition to net-zero shipping. The goal is to unify efforts across thermodynamic optimization, waste heat recovery, energy systems integration, hydrodynamic design, and low-carbon fuel utilization to enable maritime and port ecosystems that are efficient, sustainable, and compliant with global climate targets. Specifically, it seeks to bridge research in process systems engineering, naval architecture, and energy systems modeling to produce actionable insights on how ships and ports can recover, store, and reuse waste heat, optimize vessel energy performance, and validate the effectiveness of ESTs using rigorous experimental and computational methods. The Topic further encourages the development of techno-economic frameworks and digital modeling tools capable of guiding decision-making for technology adoption within increasingly stringent decarbonization regulations.To gather further insights into the recovery, integration, optimization, and quantification of energy use and emission reductions across vessels, marine networks, and industrial port ecosystems, this Research Topic is limited to studies focusing on maritime, offshore, and port-related applications. We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Advanced waste heat recovery and upgrading technologies for marine and process systems (e.g., ORC, Kalina cycle, thermoelectric generation, heat pumps)• Integration of fuel cells and combined heat and power units in ship propulsion and onboard networks• Energy and exergy analysis of hybrid maritime and port energy systems• Systems integration frameworks and multi-scale energy network analysis connecting shipboard and port infrastructures• Digital twins, simulation-based optimization, and AI-driven approaches for propulsion and onboard energy management• Experimental and computational studies on hydrodynamic performance enhancement, hull form optimization, and resistance reduction• Quantification and validation of energy-saving technologies using operational, model-scale, and full-scale data• Methodologies for calculating energy savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions from efficiency measures• Techno-economic assessment of EST deployment under evolving global and regional regulatory frameworks• Utilization of alternative fuels (hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, LNG) coupled with heat recovery and conversion systems• Circular and symbiotic concepts for energy integration among vessels and port infrastructures Topic editors: Phan-Anh Duong, Jinwon Jung, Ha Tran, Dogancan Uzun Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79580/toward-net-zero-shipping-systems-integration-waste-heat-utilization-and-energy-saving-technologies-in-maritime-operations