Industry joins forces to speed up ship retrofits across Europe

A new European partnership is set on helping shipping companies navigate one of the industry’s biggest climate challenges: how to decarbonize the existing fleet quickly, safely, and cost-effectively. The new FIT-HORIZONS project is bringing together 19 leading maritime companies, researchers, universities, software developers, and technology providers from across Europe to develop an intelligent and flexible retrofit design environment for low- and zero-emission shipping.

Coordinated by SINTEF Ocean and funded by the European Union with nearly 44 MSEK, the project aims to simplify and accelerate retrofit decisions for shipowners by combining advanced simulation tools, AI-supported modelling, and operational data into one holistic design framework. 

Practical tools for decarbonization 

While new low-emission vessels are entering the market, most ships operating today are expected to remain in service for decades. Retrofitting the existing fleet is therefore essential to achieving international climate targets. 

The project will develop and validate a flexible design environment capable of evaluating multiple retrofit technologies simultaneously, including alternative fuels, electrification, wind-assisted propulsion systems, air lubrication systems, hull modifications, and energy efficiency solutions. 

Rather than assessing technologies in isolation, the FIT-HORIZONS platform will analyze how combinations of technologies perform together under realistic operating conditions and across different vessel categories.  

By integrating machine learning, surrogate modelling, operational data, and high-fidelity simulations, the consortium aims to create a tool environment that can support more reliable, scalable, and commercially viable retrofit decisions across the maritime industry. 

OceanGlide as part of the project 

Alfa Laval participates in the FIT-HORIZONS consortium through OceanGlide, its air lubrication solution for hull resistance reduction. Within the project, Alfa Laval is applying a machine learning approach that combines operational data, experimental results, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models to build a digital twin of the OceanGlide system. 

This digital twin will be integrated into the consortium’s broader system-of-systems model — enabling the analysis of how air lubrication performs alongside, and in combination with, a wide range of other retrofit technologies. It is a concrete example of how Alfa Laval’s engineering expertise and digital capabilities are contributing to smarter, faster decarbonization across the maritime industry. 

Faster market uptake 

The FIT-HORIZONS consortium builds on experience and knowledge developed through previous European initiatives, while introducing new AI-supported approaches for maritime engineering and retrofit optimization.  

The flexible design environment developed in FIT-HORIZONS is expected to reach a technology readiness level of TRL 7-8 by the end of the project in 2029. The consortium will also develop recommendations for best practices, regulatory approval processes, and business models to support faster market uptake of retrofit solutions. 

As new climate regulations, such as FuelEU Maritime and the EU Emissions Trading System increase pressure on shipping to reduce emissions, the project aims to provide shipowners and designers with practical tools to navigate an increasingly complex transition. 

FIT-HORIZONS partners:  

Sintef Ocean (Norway), Maritime CleanTech (Norway), Friendship Systems (Germany), Vard Design (Norway), Laskaridis Shipping Company (Greece), SimFWD (Greece), Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche (Italy), Bound 4 Blue (Spain), Entwicklungszentrum für Schiffstechnik und Transportsysteme (Germany), Atlantec Enterprise Solutions (Germany), Alfa Laval Rotterdam (Netherlands), American Bureau of Shipping (Greece), Hurtigruten (Norway), Tidewater Rederi (Norway), Columbia Shipmanagement (Cyprus), Levante Ferries (Greece), University of Strathclyde (UK), Haeger & Schmidt Logistics (Germany), LMG Marin (France).  

This project has received funding from European Union’s Horizon Europe Framework program under grant no 101270016. Photo Columbia Shipmanagement Ltd 

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